Acceptance
by Gothic984
Summary: Gail tries to juggle her relationship with Lucas and her darkness, while continuing to make a stable environment for Caleb.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family, Difficult Decisions, Reflection and Spirit.

It was a cool late October's evening in Trinity SC and Gail Emory was sat comfortably on the porch of Lucas Buck's extravagant mansion with a glass of wine, stroking the wild dog who had taken to her a month earlier. The dog was a black Labrador and seemed to turn up at the strangest of places all over town when Gail was alone, she had become fond of her new protector and had named him Gideon as it sounded like guardian. She loved her other dog Rocky; however, she was drawn to Gideon and did not have the heart to turn the dog away.

Lucas had been busy at the Sheriff's station over the past few days, making sure the plans for Halloween where going smoothly; therefore, as he had previously given her a key to his house in the hopes that it would ease her discomfort if she came by on her own, she had taken the opportunity to come by earlier than expected and look through some of the mysterious books he kept locked away.

Although Lucas appeared to trust her, certain sections of the house were locked. She applauded him for his intelligence as it was in her nature to dig into things and she would not be able to stop herself from snooping if she had full access to this place. Right now she was content sitting with her protector and reading through one his Occult books. Lucas always locked his specialist books away in a cabinet; however, what kind of reporter would she be if she could not pick a basic bookshelf lock.

The wind began to pick up when Gail came to a section regarding inner spirits and souls, she had become obsessed with learning more about possession and inner demons after she heard the man Gideon attacked had hanged himself in his hospital room. At first she thought it was Lucas's doing, but she could not deny what she saw in her dream and she had witnessed the man taking his own life reluctantly. She was not ready to believe the action had anything to do with her; however, she had become curious with the happenings in this town and the supernatural elements which appeared to be present.

This obsession was not healthy and it was affecting Gail's day to day life, she was supposed to have finished her expose on Juniper House by now and she had a deal with Lucas that could potentially set Matt free; however, everything was put to one side while she tried to understand more about this property and this town, as she would not allow Caleb to stay with Lucas until she had a better understanding of the forces at play here.

'You have no problem staying here with me Darlin'' Lucas said reading her mind, as he approached the porch casually with his jacket slung over his arms and ignored the low growls of his loves new dog.

Gail smiled, she had gotten used to his intrusions into her thoughts when her guard was down and did not give it a second thought. 'I'm an adult and can take care of myself. He's just a young boy' she said turning a page in the book.

Lucas walked up the porch steps and took the book out of Gail's hand. 'I told you I didn't want you concerning yourself with these things' he said, reviewing how far she had gotten through his book.

Gail stood up and stretched, 'You should know better than to think I'm just gonna drop a subject that easily' she said and took the book back.

Lucas shook his head, 'You're not ready to go down this road Darlin'...once you start there's no turning back' he warned and threw his jacket on a chair, then began unbuttoning his shirt collar.

Gail laughed, 'It's too late for that. Besides, if you parted with some of your insight on the strange behaviour in this town, I wouldn't have to go behind your back to find out for myself'

Lucas smiled devilishly, 'Oh but where's the fun in that Miss Emory? This way I get to punish you for breaking into my locked bookshelf when I trusted you with a key to my property' he said as he walked towards her, gripped her hips and pulled her roughly towards him.

Gail bit her lip teasingly, 'I can't help being a bad girl Sheriff, it's in my nature. Maybe I deserve to be handcuffed and punished'

Lucas let his hands move towards her behind and pulled her against his body, so she could feel how hard he already was. He could still sense the darkness deep down inside her; however, it was beginning to rise slowly within her and was making her behaviour more questionable of late. She had figured out how to block most of his attempts to read her mind, he assumed with the help of her darkness and he felt more drawn to her than ever.

Gail ran her hands up his chest and clawed at his shirt with her long nails. She had no control over her desire for him these days, when they were together she had to have him; therefore, she had banned Lucas from interfering with her activities in the day and always arranged to meet him in places where they could be alone, to enable them to satisfy their urges without having to hold back. Right now she could feel a part of her screaming for him to take her hard, so she began to rip his shirt open in preparation for the inevitable act.

Lucas pushed a hand under her vest top and clawed at her back, as his free hand pulled her face to his for a passionate kiss. His twin was yelling to be let out to meet with her darkness and it was getting harder to keep him caged when he was with Gail; however, Lucas was selfish and would not share the sexual experience he had with her, even with his dark half. He pulled away from the embrace, turned her around and smacked her butt cheek hard, 'Come on Miss Emory, we're going inside so I can punish you in private' he said and led her away from her protector.

* * *

Caleb sat with Rocky on the front porch of the home he shared with his cousin Gail, reading the Stephen King novel 'Christine'. He had not long finished the Dark Tower series and wanted to continue with the author to see what else he had to offer. Caleb had been spending a lot of time with Poppy at the Library as she loved to read, Merlyn had accused him of trying to impress Poppy by feigning an interest in what she liked; however, Caleb disregarded this as Gail got him into Stephen King before he knew Poppy.

The past month had been strange, Gail had been acting out of character and had allowed Merlyn to come around more often; however, she would not acknowledge her as his sister, she just referred to her as his friend or M. Lucas had told him to keep an eye on his cousin and tread lightly around her, as she was going through a tough time at the moment. Merlyn seemed to regard Gail suspiciously all the time, which confused him but he chose not to pay too much attention to that.

Caleb loved his cousin and just wanted to make sure she was alright, so he would keep an eye on her like Lucas told him to and he warned Merlyn against aggravating Gail by following her. Merlyn had agreed to his request but came around each night to check on him, as she stated there was something about Gail she no longer trusted. Caleb shrugged this off as Lucas had taught him that you had to let women go on with their own way of thinking if you wanted a hassle free life.

Caleb was taken out of his train of thought by Billy Peele walking up the path towards him. 'Hi Doc, what can I do you for?' he asked, getting up from his seated position with Rocky.

Billy smiled at how relaxed the boy seemed, he had initially been worried that Caleb would not take to living with Gail; however, he looked to be adjusting well. 'Hey Champ, I'm lookin' for that old cousin of yours, is she around?'

Caleb shook his head, 'Nah...she's not due home for another hour I reckon, she's been out since I came back from school'

Billy frowned, 'It's after 7:00pm...she's left you all alone for nearly 4 hours without feeding you?' he asked disapprovingly.

Caleb laughed, 'No sir, she had a vegetable pie cooling on the side waiting for me and will be taking me out for dinner when she comes home just after 8'

Billy relaxed a bit, his friend had been acting strange recently and he had not been sure she had been focused enough on Caleb. Selena had assured him that Gail was taking care of the boy like she should, but Billy had not been convinced and found it unusual that Selena was defending her.

The boy seemed to be OK and stated Gail had made sure he was plenty fed while she was not around, so it appeared he was worrying about nothing; however, he could not shake his feeling of concern for his friend. 'Well as long as you're fed and watered that's the main thing...do you mind if I wait here with you for her to return? Or if you're bored we can go somewhere and I'll text her to meet us when she's ready, what do you think?'

Caleb considered Billy's offer, he was a little bored and Rocky wouldn't mind being alone for a little while. 'OK Doc', let's go somewhere fun' he said smiling and went inside to grab his jacket.

* * *

Gail rested on Lucas's chest on the couch in his study, with his arms wrapped around her. She ached all over due to the punishment she had just gotten; however, she would not have it any other way and the erotic things this man could do to her while she was chained up with a pair of his handcuffs was divine. 'If this is the treatment I get, I'll have to break into more things on your property' she laughed and stroked his chest affectionately.

Lucas smiled, ran his hand through her hair and took a deep breath to slow his heart rate, all this activity after a busy day in work was beginning to tire him. 'If you continue to behave in this manner I'll have to up my cardio level to make sure I can give you the appropriate punishments'

'I'm not becoming too much for you am I Sheriff?' Gail asked sarcastically.

Lucas laughed, 'Not at all Miss Emory, I'm just not used to someone with the same sexual appetite as me...I clearly became complacent, but don't you worry I'll be in tip top shape in no time' he said and pulled her up so she was straddling him.

Gail smiled mischievously and gently clawed at his chest playfully, she had not finished with him just yet. 'I thought your little school teacher would've kept you busy, with you being together for so long. A little bird told me you got up to all sorts of things'

Lucas inhaled her scent and gripped her hips tight, he could sense her desire and instantly became hard. 'Miss Coombs had a voracious appetite and was good for a while but Darlin', you're something else and right now I'm wondering how I went so long without you' he said, letting his hands move up to her bare breasts.

Gail bit her lip seductively and closed her eyes at the pleasure of his hands squeezing her breasts. 'Now, now Sheriff. You should watch what you're saying...if you get any more soppy you'll have people thinking you're ready for a full commitment' she said sarcastically.

Lucas let his fingers play with her nipples for a moment, then moved his hands down to her behind and pulled her up slightly so she could place him inside her. 'I've already asked you to move in with me...' he panted, '...if that's not a sign that I'm ready for whatever you want, I don't know what is'

Gail moaned softly at the pleasurable sensation of him being inside her once more. She did not need commitment, she just needed this. 'What makes you think I want anything from you?...' she panted as she began to move up and down, '...You want me to move in with you so you can have Caleb, but all I want is this'

'Maybe I want you both, have you ever considered that?' he asked as he thrust his hips higher to push himself deeper inside her.

Gail gripped Lucas's shoulders, then clawed at his back with her nails. 'You can't have us both. I'm not so blind or naive that I don't see how screwed up this is...The way you take me taps right into my fucked up issues and it's what I need right now, but it's not healthy and it's not an appropriate environment for a young boy'

Lucas bit the bottom of her neck hard at her foul language, she only ever swore when the pleasure began to get too intense and it turned him on even more. He grabbed her tight an spun her around so he was on top, then began to thrust in and out of her. 'We all have issues Darlin'...' he whispered through gritted teeth, '...you should be thankful you have a way to work through yours'

This intensity was becoming too much and she could feel something deep within her bursting to be let out. 'You'll have to share your issues with me some other time, now shut up and fuck me Sheriff' she said in a tone unlike her own and nipped at his neck.

Lucas sensed her darkness just beneath the surface and could not push his twin down any longer, when he let go he could sense her darkness clawing it's way out and he gripped her tighter then began pounding in and out of her ferociously. Gail yelled out in pleasure and pain, then clawed harder at his back and smiled when she drew blood.

They both called out in ecstasy when their climax hit together; however, Lucas did not slow and just picked her up, carried her into the kitchen and placed her roughly onto the table as he wanted something more sturdy to hold them, then began pounding in and out of her again.

'Harder!' Gail called out as she gave control to the presence within her.

Lucas let his twin fully take over and took her hard. He had previously worried that he would hurt her, but they were past that and they had a shared need for this intensity. This pace was beginning to take it's toll on him and his legs began to ache; however, his twin was relentless and kept up the excruciating pace until their orgasm erupted within them and they both yelled out together.

As his twin and her darkness retreated back inside, he lay over Gail and placed a soft kiss on her lips then gently pulled his manhood out of her. He offered his hand to assist her up, then walked to the fridge to get them a cold drink.

Gail winced in pain as he removed himself from her and accepted his supportive hand to pull her up to a seated position. She inhaled deeply and tried to catch her breath, as her lungs felt as though they were starved for air and her body ached even more than before. She shook her head at the unnatural way they had just behaved and tried to hide her concern by standing up and stretching out her muscles.

Lucas walked over to her and handed her a glass of pure orange juice. 'Are you OK?' he asked noticing her concerned look at the realisation of what just happened.

Gail forced a laugh, 'I'm younger than you, don't worry about me not being able to handle this pace...you should be more concerned about yourself old man' she said sarcastically, trying to make light of their situation.

Lucas smiled, she was still not fully ready to embrace her darkness like he had and he was happy to play along with this charade until she accepted what she was. 'I may be older Darlin', but that just means I have more experience. You don't need to worry about my heart givin' out just yet' he laughed and placed an arm around her to lead her back to his study.

When they returned to the study Gail found her clothes and began to dress, she could not handle another round right now and she was due to go home to Caleb. Lucas followed her lead and put on his boxer shorts, then came behind her and tenderly stroked her back. 'If this gets too rough, you need to let me know' he said and kissed her right shoulder softly.

Gail smiled and leaned back into him, 'I will, but I'm a big girl and not as fragile as you may think'

Lucas nipped at her neck and let his lips move slowly up to her ear, 'You've just proven that Darlin'' he whispered and bit her gently.

Gail could feel the familiar stir between her legs and went to turn around to kiss him; however, the sound of her phone receiving a message brought her back to her senses. She pulled away from his grasp and rooted in her bag for the mobile phone. 'Damn it' she cursed.

Lucas looked at her confused, 'What's wrong'?'

Gail exhaled deeply in exasperation. 'It looks like the quiet relaxing night that I planned with my cousin has been cancelled, I have to go meet him and Billy in the Pool Hall then head out for a meal'

Lucas smiled, 'Well hurry up and get dressed Darlin', I'm starvin'' he said, inviting himself along.

* * *

Billy stood in Albert's Pool Hall watching Caleb contemplate his next move, he had enjoyed his time here with Lucas a month ago and had decided it would be a fun place to take Caleb. He watched the boy as he considered his position then gave a small clap when he potted the correct ball. 'Wow, if you keep playing like this you'll put me to shame' Billy said laughing.

'That's not all that hard if I recall correctly' Lucas said as he approached the pair and smiled at his boy.

Caleb waved at Lucas and continued on with his next shot, he had a sudden urge to impress his real father and he believed beating Doctor Peele would do that. He pulled the pool queue back after carefully positioning his shot, then went to hit the ball; however, he felt a soft hand over his and Gail leaned close to his ear. 'Not yet Caleb, a little more to the left and you've got it' she whispered. Caleb smiled, concentrated on his new position then potted the last ball into the pocket.

Gail clapped loudly, 'Well done! you've just beaten a grown man, I hope you're proud of yourself' she said and gave him an affectionate hug.

Billy shook his head, 'Now, now...maybe I let him win' he said sarcastically

'Don't be a sore loser Doc, I won fair and square' Caleb said smiling triumphantly with his arm around his cousin.

Lucas watched the pair intently, as they held each other and laughed together. He was determined to get them both, he just had to figure out a way to teach Gail to control her inner darkness first. 'You did good son...for winnin' you get to chose where to eat and it's my treat'

Billy looked at Gail disapprovingly, but she only shrugged back at him. 'I'm the loser here today so I'll treat Caleb and Gail to some grub, I'm sure you have some work to do somewhere Sheriff'

Lucas shook his head, this was his family and he would not allow the good Doctor to get in the way. He let his twin out for a moment then smiled when Billy's pager beeped. 'You might wanna check that Doc, it appears you're the one who's got some work to do' Lucas said smugly.

Billy checked his pager, it was an urgent message for him to return to the hospital as there had been an incident. He looked at Lucas suspiciously then turned towards his friend. 'I have to go to the hospital, will you be alright?' he asked.

Gail nodded, 'Of course. You go and call me later when you're finished, we'll have a few drinks at my place'

Billy turned towards Caleb and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder, 'I want a rematch Champ, we'll sort it out later' he said and left the group.

Lucas watched the good Doctor leave and smiled. 'Well that's settled, just the three of us for dinner'

'Four' came Merlyn's voice from behind Gail. She was not dressed in her usual white dress, she wore a pair of jeans and a peach blouse.

Gail turned towards the girl and pushed down the familiar feeling of family that was radiating off her. She was Caleb's unusual friend who had no other place to be, that was all she kept telling herself. 'Evening M...' Gail said casually, '...glad you ditched your white dress, I prefer this look'

Merlyn smiled, she liked that her cousin had accepted her, albeit not in the way that she had hoped. Gail acknowledged her, was kind and caring even, but she would not admit who she was and Merlyn could sense a darkness just below her surface which did not appear to like her. 'Thank's Gail...I was hopin' I could join you good people, with all my family bein' gone an all' she said sweetly and aimed the comment at Lucas.

Lucas shifted on the spot in frustration. He did not like Merlyn intruding on his time with Caleb and Gail, he also did not like that his love acknowledged the dead girl and had given her an affectionate name. 'Young girl, I'm sure you have somewhere else you can go' he said and focused his twins attention on her.

Merlyn felt a sudden burning in her chest and tried to fight against it. There was no use, it was a fire burning her from the inside out and she would not be able to hide the excruciating pain from her face for much longer. Suddenly she felt a cool breeze flow through her, as if the fire was being put out and felt a soft arm link around hers.

Gail pulled the girl close to her, an unusual feeling had stirred beneath her skin and she felt the urge to keep the girl close. 'M is more than welcome to join us Sheriff, in fact I'd like to have another girl around so I'm not stuck with two boring boy's' she said playfully and winked at Caleb.

Caleb smiled and wrapped his arm around his sister, although Gail was not acknowledging who she really was she seemed to like her being around.

Lucas took a few steps closer to the group and Gail protectively stepped in front of Merlyn. 'If the state isn't paying you enough to treat four people Sheriff, why don't you head on home and I'll get this with my Reporters wage' Gail said cattily.

Lucas forced a smile, he felt like he was being ganged up on and did not like it. 'I have more than enough money to pay for everyone Darlin', I just thought we could keep this as family'

Gail bit her lip at the implications of his words, she would not acknowledge him as Caleb's father in front of the boy and she resented that Lucas was trying to force her to do so. 'I have my only living relative with me and we're the only true family here' she said defensively.

Lucas's smile grew wider, at least she was choosing to disregard Merlyn too. 'Fine, would you like me to leave you alone with your family Miss Emory?' he asked annoyed.

Caleb stood in between them both, he could sense the tension and it was causing a strange vibe to come from his cousin. 'I want to be with everyone' he said sternly, 'I won and it's my choice'

Gail's manner softened when she saw Caleb in the middle of them and she cursed herself for making this about her and Lucas. 'We're all goin', don't worry...the Sheriff has had a tiresome few hours and is just a little bit ratty, it must be his old age' she said playfully and shot Lucas an enticing glance.

Lucas shook his head knowing she was referring to their antics earlier and his anger dissolved at the thought of her touch. 'Don't mind me son...like your cousin said, I've had a very active day. Come on, let's all go get some grub' he said resigning himself to the awkward situation.

* * *

Merlyn sat next to Caleb, across from Lucas and Gail on the table at Larry's Fish Bar. Caleb had decided he wanted something with fish sticks; therefore, Lucas had introduced them to the best fish stick joint in town, which was just down from the pier. Merlyn found this fake act of Lucas's amusing, she knew what he was really like and this fun loving facade was far from the truth.

She could still feel something dark beneath Gail's surface which was concerning. It was clear Lucas had attempted to dispel her earlier and Gail had somehow stepped in to counteract his attempt, so Merlyn decided she would respect her cousins choice of allowing Lucas to be around and not do anything to cause a possible bad reaction. She was not sure what she felt about the presence within her cousin, as it was unmistakably dark; however, she was sure it protected her from Lucas's intended actions. This was all so confusing so Merlyn decided she would hold her form like she had been doing for the past month and pretend this was all normal.

Lucas watched Merlyn closely, he had not liked that he was unable to get rid of her and suspected his loves inner self had something to do with that. He was still wary of her darkness and would not give it cause to show itself around his boy, not until he fully understood what it was capable of; therefore, he would play nice and try to forget he was sitting with the girl he murdered, eating dinner.

Gail did not see the appeal of fish sticks and had ordered a jacket potato, as she cut into it she reflected on the awkwardness at the table and began to feel like there was a secret being kept from her. She felt something stir underneath her skin and it began to call for Lucas, she pushed down her desire to be taken by him again and focused on her cousin. 'So, how was school?' she asked Caleb.

Caleb swallowed half a fish stick then took a bite out of another. 'It was OK...Miss Coomb's was asking about you'

Lucas could sense Gail's desire for him and moved his hand under the table, then squeezed the top of her thigh. 'Oh? and what would Miss Coomb's want with your cousin?' he asked curiously and smiled at Gail's slight intake of breath from his touch.

Caleb shrugged and continued scoffing his food, 'She just wanted me to tell Gail to call her when she was free'

Gail shot a warning glance at Lucas and tried to move his hand from her thigh, but he only raised it higher. 'Tell Miss Coomb's I'll stop by after school tomorrow to see her, can you do that for me?'

Caleb nodded, looked towards his sister and threw a fish stick at her playfully when he saw her regarding Gail and Lucas suspiciously.

'Caleb!' Merlyn called and laughed when she saw the playful look in his eye. She had opted for the jacket potato with her cousin, but as she did not eat she was happy for an excuse to leave the food and began to tickle her brother.

Gail laughed at the affectionate display, deep down she knew the bond these two shared was more than just friendship and it was nice to see her cousin having fun so easily. 'Why don't you two take your food and go hang out on the pier, we'll join you in a while once we've finished' she said and smiled when Caleb grabbed his plate and ran off, with M chasing after him.

Lucas moved his hand to the sweet spot between her legs and began to stroke her seductively now that the children had left them. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no-one was watching and nipped at her ear playfully. 'Should we get out of here for a while Darlin'?' he whispered.

Gail bit her lip hard to try and take her attention away from her yearning for him. This was precisely the reason why she did not want to be with him in public or around Caleb, it was becoming too hard to keep their hands off each other. Before she could find her voice to protest Lucas stood up, took her by the hand and led her out of the Fish Bar to a private spot around the back of the building. 'Lucas wait...we can't do this here' she tried to protest as he pushed her gently against the wall and began to run his hands over her body.

'Shush love...' he said nipping at her neck gently, '...are you really gonna fight this?'

Gail's hands had already trailed down to his pants and were unbuckling his belt, this protest was not even fooling herself. She trusted Lucas would never chance Caleb seeing them; therefore, this place must be private. With that in mind she unzipped his pants and leaned her head to the right to allow him full access to her neck.

Lucas smiled and began sucking her neck, he could not resist this anymore than she could. He turned her around so she could place her hands on the wall for support, then pulled out down her pants, freed his manhood and gently pushed himself inside her. He moved in and out of her softly at first, knowing she would be sore after their previous antics; however, her moans of pleasure turned him on and caused him to quicken his pace.

Gail rested her head on the wall in front of her and bit her hand to stop from calling out, this was painful but her body yearned for him to continue and the familiar pain mixed with pleasure sensation began to run through her body until she felt herself ready to explode.

Lucas picked up the pace and started pounding in and out of her, he bit down on her shoulder to stifle his moans as they both came together and was thankful that Gail managed to control her own yell. Pulling out of her slowly, he reached into his pocket for a tissue to clean her up then turned her around and kissed her passionately.

'This has to stop' she said after breaking free of the embrace and pulling her pants up.

Lucas laughed, 'You can't stop desire Darlin', you just have to roll with it'

Gail shook her head in disgust with herself, 'I'd rather not roll with the desire when my cousin is in the vicinity'

Lucas knew they would not be disturbed, if there was any chance of anyone finding them his twin would have protected them. 'Your cousin is in no danger of walkin' in on us, do you think I'd do this in front of my son?' he asked.

Gail's guard shot up when he referred to Caleb as his son. 'I don't know what you'd do in front of your son, but I'd prefer not to be a part of it either way'

Lucas sensed her defensiveness rising and exhaled in exasperation, 'Don't do this Gail...don't shut me out'

Gail inhaled deeply to calm her frustration and started to walk to the front of the Fish Bar, 'Thanks for the food, I'm going to find my cousin and his friend now. I don't want to see you again tonight so don't expect me later' she said and left Lucas alone wondering what he had done.

To be continued.


	2. Chapter 2

Selena Coomb's stood at the head of the empty classroom, cleaning the chalk from her board. The end of school bell had not long rang and she was thankful she did not have to keep any child back on detention, as she did not have the energy to stay long due to the late visit she got from Billy last night. Apparently her boyfriend had gotten called into the hospital unexpectedly after Calvin Jackson fell off the roof of his house, what the idiot was doing on his roof in the first place was anyone's guess.

Billy told her the man swore blind he had been pulled up there by some invisible force, knowing Calvin ran against Lucas for Sheriff indicated to Selena that her ex most likely had something to do with this little 'accident'; however, why he would target Calvin this long after the election was beyond her. She was happy Billy had come to her, he said that he was supposed to see Gail but he clearly needed to work out his frustrations and they had stayed up until 4:00am doing just that. Now she was exhausted and just wanted to sit down and put her feet up.

'Why don't you Darlin', no-one's stoppin' you' Lucas said leaning against the classroom door.

Selena turned around and sighed at the intrusion. 'Shouldn't you be out torturing someone Sheriff?'

Lucas smiled, 'I reckon I could be, but I wanted to stop by and see how my favourite teacher is doin'' he said charmingly.

Selena laughed, 'Oh please, I'm sure your girlfriend would love to know your making visits to me now'

Lucas walked around the classroom casually and picked up a picture that Caleb had drawn, it was a picture of a large black house. It appeared his son was still struggling to take to the lighter things in life. 'My girlfriend doesn't do jealousy Miss Coombs, that's a trait for other weaker women...speaking of my love, what do you want with her?' he asked.

Selena regarded Lucas angrily, she had enjoyed a few evenings out with Gail before the incident that happened a month ago and had become to like the woman; however, hearing Lucas refer to her as his love made her old jealous feelings resurface.

'What me and Miss Coombs get up to is non of your business Sheriff' Gail said strolling into the classroom.

Selena turned towards Gail then glanced at Lucas and smiled when she saw the irritated look on his face, clearly he had not expected her to come by so soon. 'The Sheriff was just stopping by to see his favourite teacher apparently' Selena said, trying to get Lucas into trouble.

'Is that so? Well it's a shame I'm earlier than expected, otherwise you two could've had some quality time together' Gail said sarcastically and sat down on Selena's desk.

Lucas shook his head, he could sense he did not stand a chance when these two joined forces against him; however, it was not in his nature to retreat. He approached both woman and put on his best southern gentleman smile. 'Well, now that we're all here why don't we spend some quality time together...hell I could even sit back and watch you ladies have some fun'

Selena smiled and looked at Gail curiously before commenting, on some nights when Billy was not around she fantasised about what it would be like with these two. She knew Lucas had a ferocious sexual appetite and she had often wondered what the lovely Miss Emory had to offer. Selena would not turn down the offer if it came her way, even if it was just to satisfy her curiosity.

Gail smiled mischievously and felt the presence inside her momentarily take control, 'I don't know...maybe we should invite Doctor Peele to this little gathering so Miss Coombs and I could sit back and watch?'

Lucas bit his lip in exasperation, his love was usually suggestive but not with the involvement of another man. He sensed her menacing side was coming out to play and did not want Selena becoming wise to Gail's darker side just yet. 'I'll tell you what, why don't you and I just head down to an empty classroom to have our fun together...we don't need company with what we do' he said seductively and caressed Gail's cheek.

Selena stared at the pair and swallowed hard, she could sense the chemistry in the air and part of her wanted to join in; however, there was something about Gail recently which made her tread carefully.

Gail stood up and pressed her body against Lucas's, she had come here to talk to Selena not get into sexual relations with him but she felt the familiar ache between her legs and part of her was torn about what to do. She looked longingly at his lips then stared deep into his eyes, she could see he wanted to kiss her but he was waiting for her authorisation due to their present company.

A child ran close to the room and down the corridor which prompted Gail to take a step back and regain control of herself. She turned towards Selena and laughed the tension off, 'Are you done here?' she asked.

Selena tried to push down her aroused feeling and glanced towards Lucas, 'I think I am'

Gail inhaled deeply as she regained her full composure and smiled. 'Good, let's go get a drink' she said and both woman sauntered out of the classroom leaving Lucas to contemplate what had just happened.

* * *

Lucas entered the Sheriff's Station in an agitated mood after the unexpected turn out of his meeting at the school and was ready to take his mood out on one of his employees; however, he felt a strange sensation which indicated someone was waiting in his office. He said his niceties to Floyd then casually walked to his office to see who had the balls to enter his space without his permission and smiled when he saw Caleb sat on his chair with his feet up on his desk.

Caleb had not noticed Lucas enter as he had his nose in a book and gave a startled yell when Lucas playfully smacked his hands down on his desk to get his attention. Caleb quickly pulled his feet off Lucas's desk and stood up straight, 'Sorry Lucas, I didn't hear you come in...why did you make me jump like that?'

Lucas laughed, 'I don't appreciate people takin' liberties at my desk son, but seen as it's you I'll let it go this time...what can I do you for?' he asked hanging up his jacket behind the door.

Caleb shrugged, 'I'm bored and a bit worried about Gail. I thought you could take me somewhere so we could talk'

'I don't know son, with Halloween just around the corner I'm mighty busy' he said sarcastically.

Caleb laughed mischievously, 'Really? so I guess you hangin' around the school earlier was official police business?'

Lucas smiled, his son was beginning to come into his own and did not miss a trick. 'Never you mind what I was doin' at the school son...'

'I don't mind...' Caleb interjected, '...but maybe Gail would'

Lucas stared at his son in disbelief, could he be trying to blackmail him? No not his innocent boy, the women in his life would have a fit if Caleb started showing signs of his influence this young. 'Firstly, your cousin was with me and Miss Coombs at the school, so she is fully aware of my intentions. Secondly, I don't need that kinda push to spend time with my boy'

Caleb considered his words and decided he was not going to hide what he knew anymore. 'Maybe your boy don't need much of a push either' he said and looked down at his feet.

Lucas stared at Caleb in silence, he was speechless. Caleb appeared to be acknowledging his parentage openly for the first time, Gail and Merlyn would not be impressed with this display. 'OK son...' he said with a smile, '...I'm overdue getting a Halloween costume for the Mayor's annual party, why don't you be my plus one and we can both pick a costume together?'

Caleb smiled, he had never been to a Halloween party before and the Mayor's annual parties where always the talk of the town. Last year he just hung around the boarding house with Doctor Matt, it would be nice to do something different with his father this year. 'I'd like that...I got no money though and Gail isn't due to give me my pocket money until tomorrow' he said deflated.

Lucas laughed, 'Son, have you seen my house? You really think I need your help in payin' for somethin'? No sir, this is on me' he said and signalled for Caleb to follow him out of his office.

* * *

Gail sat with Selena outside a live music bar that had just opened in the centre of town, she was growing impatient of the men in her life and thought checking out the new bar would keep her far enough away from her usual haunts to avoid anybody she knew. Selena had left her car at the school and allowed her to drive them, Gail was not planning on having much to drink with Selena; however, if something caused her to change her mind, her car would be safe enough until the morning.

Gail had been avoiding this woman since the incident a month earlier at the pier, she did not want to revisit what had happened when she had not long stopped having nightmares about it. Selena had been asking about her a lot to Caleb and she would only continue to disturb her cousin if she did not face her. 'So, you wanted to see me?' Gail said, taking a sip of her vodka and lemonade.

Selena regarded Gail carefully, she had been able to sense something different about her since they were attacked by her one night stand a month earlier. The vicious animal attack reminded her of how Lucas would deal with things; however, he would not be so open and his 'accidents' were more subtle, therefore, she knew it had not been down to him.

The man's suicide on the other hand had Lucas written all over it and she was surprised that Gail did not fazed over the mans untimely death. Her nemesis even reported on the story and had won the praise of a lot of Trinity residents for the article, it had been written in such a way that it was almost as though she was present at the time of death.

There was definitely something strange going on with the lovely Miss Emory and Selena wanted to find out what. 'I was just concerned about my friend...we both went through an ordeal together last month and we haven't had much time to talk since then'

Gail laughed, she was not buying into this act for a second. 'In case you haven't noticed I have an 11 year old to take care of...and since when are we friends?'

Selena shrugged, 'We might as well be friends with how much we've shared...isn't that what friendship is?'

Gail regarded the woman opposite her suspiciously, Selena had begun to grow on her previously although she would never admit it and her lack of morals played towards Gail's dark side. 'OK friend, seen as we can share and all...how old is Lucas Buck?'

Selena laughed, Lucas had already warned her against talking about him or any of their past experiences with Gail and god knows what punishment he would dish out if he found out she gave away some of his personal secrets. 'That man is very private, what makes you think I would know something like that?' Selena asked sweetly and took a sip of her Martini.

'Come on Selena, the man used you then discarded you...what could you possibly owe him?'

'Last I heard Gail, you are with him exclusively. Why would you want dirt on him? or is your conscience beginning to shine through?'

Gail felt something crawl just below her skin and laughed in an uncharacteristic way, 'Conscience? I have no problem being with Lucas and couldn't care less what my conscience has to say on the matter. I'm just curious about how old my partner is, is that such a bad thing?' she asked feigning innocence. All Gail needed was a year of birth, then she could begin to uncover whatever Lucas had buried about himself. He was good at hiding things and very careful; however, she was patient and persistent.

Selena took a large sip of her drink, the truth was she did not know as much as Gail might believe she did as her ex lover never gave her specifics. He only provided enough information to make her believe she was special to him and to keep her loyal, then discarded her when the woman across the table began to return his affections.

Selena was still bitter over everything that had happened; however, she enjoyed her nemesis's company at the present time so all the blame was projected towards Lucas Buck. 'I don't know his age Gail, Lucas takes pride in keeping a lot of things secret...I am surprised you haven't mentioned his birthday though, I thought you two love birds would be planning something romantic for the occasion'

Gail smiled sweetly in an attempt to hide her intrigue, 'What makes you think I haven't already arranged for a special surprise? It would defeat the object of a birthday surprise if I announced it to the world now wouldn't it?'

'Well you're doing a good job of hiding what you're planning Gail...Halloween is just around the corner and it will be hard to convince the big guns in this town to let Lucas miss the Mayor's annual party without divulging the reason why' Selena said and downed the rest of her drink, her present company was drinking too slow for her liking.

Gail considered Selena's words, could Lucas really have been born on Halloween? She kicked herself for not uncovering that earlier, it would explain a lot about his interest in the macabre. Gail downed her drink after she noticed Selena sat impatiently waiting for her, a few more drinks may loosen Selena's tongue even more; therefore, she stood up and headed to the bar to treat them to a bottle of wine.

* * *

Lucas stood at the counter of the specialist Antique Store he favoured just outside the centre of town, he was very particular in his taste and had discovered this Store not long after the deed to his family estate was signed over to him. On the surface this was just an old Antique Store with trinkets and such dotted around the place; however, there was a large room at the back which catered to more unusual tastes.

The Store owner Abraham had become a trustworthy friend to Lucas over the years and went out of his way to locate any specialist books or items that he believed may interest him, he also stocked custom made fancy dress costumes which he brought out for Halloween and these were what Lucas was interested in at this moment in time.

Caleb had been in awe of this place since they arrived and had wanted to search for a present for his cousin, knowing she liked unusual things with character; however, Lucas had sent him off to look for a fancy dress costume while he picked up the items that had been set aside for him.

Abraham shook his head in disbelief when he was wrapping the item Lucas had purchased, 'I don't hear from you for two months, then you show up with this request out of nowhere. This is an expensive item and not your usual style, have you finally got a special someone in your life that you haven't told me about? And I'm not talkin' about that little school teacher you've been runnin' around with for years'

Lucas smiled, Abraham was over 80 years old but he still had his wits about him and Lucas admired the confidence of the man. There were very few people he chose to regard as friends in his town and even the ones he did would mostly tip toe around him, but not Abraham. The man had been able to see right through his false facade years ago and had not cared about anything bad he had done, providing it was not directly in front of him.

There was no point in trying to hide his intentions from his friend as Abraham would likely clobber him over the head with the the Trinity Guardian which was in front of him on the counter. 'There might be someone I'm quite fond of, but I'm not gonna talk about this right now' Lucas said, glancing towards the back room to make sure Caleb was nowhere close.

Abraham followed his friends stare and laughed, 'Don't tell me this is to do with your boy? It is mighty strange you being able to bring him here unsupervised, although it's nice to see you finally getting some proper time with him'

'It's not so much to do with him as to do with his only other living relative...'

Abraham stopped wrapping the box and stared at Lucas disapprovingly. 'Tell me you're not botherin' that nice Emory girl?' he asked in a protective tone.

Lucas respected Abraham's opinion and knew he would not react well to who he had pursued; therefore, he had chosen to keep his old friend in the dark for as long as possible, to avoid dealing with his disappointment. 'I wouldn't call it botherin'...'

Abraham put the box down carefully and turned away from his friend. He had grown up with Charles Emory, Peter Emory's father, and the men had been very close until the day Charles had died from lung cancer. Abraham had not been fond of Peter; however, he had tried his best to be there for the family and used to play with Gail when she was a girl, to try and shield her from the flaws of her parents.

It had been a tragedy what happened to her mother and he suspected Lucas had a part to play in the actions taken by Gage Temple. He had not turned against Lucas as he had become like a younger brother to him by that time and he classed Gail's escape from her abusive father as a silver lining in the situation; however, he could not condone Lucas's pursuit of a good girl who was much younger than him, especially with his history with her parents. 'That girl was fine away from here, what did you do boy?'

Lucas shrugged, he sensed Abraham's disappointment but he had no real conscience to allow him to take it fully on board. 'Calm down old man, I didn't do anything...she came to town to look after her cousin, you know that'

Abraham shook his head while continuing to wrap the box, 'And what...you thought you would interject your way into her life, just like you did her parents? I get you goin' after your boy, anyone would do that but to pull an innocent girl into your tangled web of deceit...I expected better of you'

Lucas was beginning to dislike this tone of conversation, 'Whoa there friend, firstly she's not a little girl anymore and secondly she ain't so innocent. Gail is an intelligent woman and is very capable of making her own choices. I didn't come here for your judgement, I came here to make a transaction...if you're gonna get on your high horse I might as well spend my money elsewhere' he said defensively.

Abraham slammed his hand down hard on the counter and turned his full attention to Lucas. 'Listen here boy, I've been around this town since before you were born. I remember when your mamma used to bounce you on her knee and change your diapers, so don't talk to me like I'm some common Joe who you can just disregard at the drop of a hat. You knew you did wrong cause you hid this from me...Gail Emory has been through more than anyone should have to go through in their lifetime, but you don't care about that do you? What is it with that family that you can't leave alone?'

Before anything else could be said, Caleb came from behind Lucas and placed a costume on the counter. 'You know my cousin?' he asked, curious as to why there had been raised voices.

Abraham looked at Lucas disapprovingly then smiled warmly towards Caleb. 'I'm an old family friend from a long time ago son...this is a good choice of costume, I'll price it up with our good Sheriff's items then you can both be on your way' he said, wanting Lucas to get out of his sight.

Caleb looked at Lucas, who did not take his eyes of the man behind the counter. 'I'll pay you back Lucas' he said trying to break the tension he could sense.

'No you won't son, it's my treat' Lucas said, still staring at the man.

Abraham smiled, priced everything up and placed the items in a bag. 'I'll put this on your tab Sheriff'

Lucas nodded, 'You do that' he said and turned to leave with Caleb.

'Just a moment' Abraham said reaching down underneath the counter and brought up a dream catcher that he had acquired many years earlier. He wrapped it carefully in some paper and handed it to Caleb. 'Here you go son, give that to your cousin for me and tell her uncle Abe said Hi'

Caleb regarded the man suspiciously and nodded, ignoring the disapproving glance Lucas shot the man. 'Thank you sir...I'll tell her'

Abraham smiled at the boys suspicion and watched as they both left, he reckoned he would be expecting a visit from the boys cousin in the next few days.

* * *

Gail returned home at 7:00pm to Lucas and Caleb sat on her porch. She had managed to sober up considerably after her little drinking session with Selena; however, she had chosen not to drive and had gotten Ben to drop her off home after his shift had finished.

When she walked casually up the porch steps she was greeted by Rocky who was clearly excited to see her and she bent down to give him an affectionate cuddle. 'To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit Sheriff?' she asked, while trying to avoid Rocky's tongue licking her face.

Lucas patted Caleb on the shoulder and stood up. 'I was just making sure the boy wasn't alone for too long Darlin', we weren't sure when you would be returning home'

Gail pushed Rocky gently away then stood back up. 'He's never alone for long, he has my number and knows to call when he's heading home. Should I be concerned that you don't believe I'm capable of taking care of my cousin?' she asked defensively.

'I never said that Darlin''

'Oh but you inferred it Sheriff' Gail said and walked past him to give Caleb a hug. 'How was you day?' she asked her cousin.

Caleb smiled, 'Good...I got a costume for the Mayor's party'

'You did? I wasn't aware you were invited' she said glancing towards Lucas.

'I'm takin' the boy as my plus one' Lucas said, he assumed she would not have wanted to be seen in public with him at such an occasion.

Gail laughed, 'Is that so? Thanks for consulting me on the matter'

Lucas shrugged, 'I thought you might be out with one of your many friends Darlin', is there a problem?'

'No problems here Sheriff, I was going to take him with me as my plus one but I'll just take Matt instead' she said out of spite, knowing he would not want Matt mingling with the important people of the town.

Lucas smiled then walked a few steps closer to her and whispered so Caleb could not hear, 'Over my dead body Gail'

Gail smiled devilishly back at him, 'Don't tempt me Lucas' she said and felt the familiar stir between her legs at their closeness.

'Your uncle Abe said Hi and gave you a present' Caleb said, not liking them whispering in front of him.

Gail stared into Lucas's eyes for a moment longer, then turned her attention towards Caleb. 'My uncle Abe?' she asked reaching for the paper and carefully opening it to reveal a dream catcher. She ran her fingers over the object gently then had a sudden flash back to when she was 6 years old and an old friend of her Grandpa's would come around to play with her. She remembered him being a fascinating character, he had given her a small dream catcher to protect against any nightmares and she had cherished it until she was forced to leave Trinity.

Lucas watched his love intently, she may be distracted but that did not stop his arousal and he wanted her. 'Abe is an old friend of mine Darlin', he remembers you fondly' he said, knowing this would peak her interest.

Gail turned towards Lucas, she had a sudden urge to see this man who she had not thought about in years. 'Where is he? I should thank him for my gift'

Lucas smiled, 'I can take you to him...providing you're OK for a little while on your own son?'

Before Caleb could answer Gail interjected, 'You're overdue visiting Miss Holt. Lucas can drop you off at the boarding house with Rocky for a sleep over, then take me to see my uncle Abe'

Caleb could tell Gail really wanted to speak to the old man who he had seen earlier today, so did not protest. She was right, he had not returned to the boarding house since moving in with her and he had promised Miss Holt he would come by regularly. 'OK cous', I'll go grab my clothes for tomorrow then we can go' he said and headed into the house.

* * *

There had been no conversation in the car after Lucas dropped Caleb off at the boarding house, Gail was so preoccupied with thoughts of the old man from her past that she could not think of anything else. As she was deep in thought she had not noticed Lucas was heading in the wrong direction of where he stated Abraham would be, until it was too late and he pulled up to a secluded area not far from the Trinity river.

Lucas got out of the car before Gail could question him, then walked casually around to her side and offered his hand when she opened the door. When she obediently took his hand, he led her through the trees to a clearing close by the river.

Gail was confused and when the realisation that they were not going to see Abraham hit her, she was infuriated. 'What the hell is this?' she asked angrily.

Lucas pulled her to the riverbank, then turned towards her and caressed her cheek gently. 'You've got all the time in the world to see Abe Darlin'...we appear to have gotten off to a rough start today and it's about time we fixed that'

Gail allowed him to caress her cheek, then ran her hands over his chest as her anger subsided. 'So this was all a ruse to get me alone?'

Lucas shrugged, 'Maybe'

Gail nodded, 'OK...now that we're here, what are you going to do to me Sheriff?' she asked playfully.

Lucas smiled, regardless of what Abe had said he knew they were meant to be together and could sense their chemistry. He could not feel bad about bringing Gail over to his side, as she longed for him when they were in close proximity and he believed she would inevitably be drawn to him even if he left her alone. Besides, it was not as though he was corrupting her, he knew she was still digging into Juniper House due to her obsession with the truth; therefore, something within her still remained pure.

Right now it was not her pure side that he was craving, it was her darkness. After being scolded by his old friend he felt frustrated and wanted to work the feeling off. 'That depends Miss Emory...have you been a good girl with my ex today, or have you been trying to dig up some dirt on me?' he asked knowingly. Her mind was closed off to him at the present time; however, he sensed something was discussed with Selena.

Gail smiled mischievously, 'Oh I've been very bad Sheriff...not only did I manage to dig something up on you, I've submitted an article on your lack of interest in Goat Town and what the poverty stricken area means for the community' she said, knowing he'd be distracted by the article rather than what she had uncovered.

Lucas pulled away slightly in surprise, it was not often that Goat Town managed to make it into a newspaper as he had an understanding with certain people. 'You did what?'

Gail shrugged, turned away and walked closer to the water trying to create some space. Her Editor had been so impressed with her candidness on the subject that he was going to run the article on the front page and agreed to give her more time on the Juniper story she had been working on due to this.

She did not mind giving Lucas a heads up on the article, as it had already gone to print and could not be pulled. She would never hold back on writing about the truth if it involved him, as they were both professionals and had made their career choices; however, there was no harm in giving her lover some warning. 'I did my job...albeit maybe a little too well' she said glancing over her shoulder at him.

Lucas shook his head and took a deep breath, she certainly knew how to kill the mood. 'Maybe you should learn to take a step back and give an average performance once in a while' he said as he walked closer to her.

Gail turned back towards him and smiled. 'Average? that's not in my repertoire Sheriff' she said as she knelt down in front of him, unzipped his pants, then placed his manhood in her mouth and began to suck.

Lucas inhaled deeply and watched as she took him in her mouth unexpectedly. He had thought they were about to have a heated conversation over her morals and his lack of them; however, he had completely misjudged the situation.

He loved the simplicity of this act and the pleasure which she effortlessly gave him as she performed it. She ran her tongue from the bottom of his manhood all the way up to the tip, then nipped at his tip gently before placing him back in her mouth and began to suck harder. Lucas tangled his hands in her hair and pulled her head back slightly so she could look up at him as his breath began to hasten. 'You might want to slow down love, I'm really close'

Gail glanced up for a moment then began sucking him faster until he erupted in her mouth, she loved how he reacted to this simple act and had began to really enjoy the taste of him in her mouth. When she stood up and ran her finger seductively over her mouth to remove any of his excess moisture, he grabbed her tight and began to kiss her passionately.

Lucas could feel the fire inside of him rising as it yearned for him to be inside her, so he pulled free of their embrace and started to undress her. Gail stepped back obediently for a moment and allowed him to remove her clothes, then unbuttoned his shirt and watched patiently as he stepped out of his pants. Lucas could have pushed her down to the ground and taken her roughly, as his subconscious was calling for him to do; however, he wanted to saviour this time with her, therefore, he took her hand gently and led her into the cold water.

Gail allowed herself to be led into the river, ignoring the uncomfortable sensation of the cold water around her ankles. As they waded deeper, she began to feel the goose pimples forming over her bare skin and stopped for a moment. 'It's not summer anymore Lucas...what are we doing?' she asked.

Lucas turned towards his love, gently ran his thumb up her bare arm then stroked her trembling lips. 'Just a little further Gail, trust me' he said and began to pull them further into the river.

When the water rested just above Gail's stomach he turned towards her, removed her bra and let the river pull it down stream. Gail watched as her support floated away and bit her bottom lip in an attempt to stop it from quivering with the cold. 'I might have wanted that' she said sarcastically.

Lucas smiled devilishly, scooped some water into his palm then stroked the hand down her chest, letting the water trail down her bare skin. 'Bad girls don't always get what they want' he said and cupped her breasts in his hands.

Gail closed her eyes then moaned softly at the pleasurable sensation of the water travelling down her chest and his hands squeezing her breasts gently. He began to circle his wet thumbs around her nipples and the suspense was killing her. It suddenly clicked that this was her punishment, the excruciating cold water and having to wait for him to take her. Gail felt the presence inside her rising, she yearned for him more than ever and she could not stand the wait. She reached for his hips and moved her hands up his chest, then clawed her nails into his skin and let them trail down to his stomach. 'Oh but I will get what I want...' she whispered, leaning forward slightly so her lips nearly touched his, '...I want you inside me right now'

Lucas brushed his lips on hers and it took all of his will power not to comply with her request; however, he could sense the wait was bothering her and her darkness was beginning to rise. 'Patience Miss Emory, all good things come to those whose wait...I'm not done playing yet' he said and let his hands move down to her submerged hips, then to her sweet spot.

Gail began to tremble, the cold water on her skin only heightened the intense pleasure of his touch and she closed in around his fingers when they entered her. She pulled Lucas close and ran her fingers through his now damp hair, this man infuriated her at the best of times but she would not have him any other way. 'You're enjoying this torture way too much Sheriff' she panted and was thankful when his lips came down on hers for a passionate kiss.

Lucas enjoyed knowing she was suffering and aching for him; however, he was also torturing himself and his twin could sense how close her darkness was to the surface, so it was clawing at his insides for him to stop this game and take her. He could not keep up this reserved pace with her for much longer and pulled free from their kiss to bite at her neck roughly.

Gail could sense his control waiver and smiled triumphantly when he began to bite her neck hard, this was the man she wanted right now and she reached down into the water to stroke his manhood whilst nipping at his shoulder. She bit her lip in anticipation when he pulled his fingers out of her and wrapped her legs around his waist when he lifted her up.

Lucas could not hold back any longer and thrust himself inside her, then called out at the intense pleasure she gave him as he forced himself in. She was always tight at first, then she would loosen up and he was free to take her how he wanted. It took a moment for him to get his rhythm in the water; however, when he did he thrust in and out of her forcefully, while gripping her butt cheeks for support.

Gail called out his name and grabbed his shoulders tight as he pounded in and out of her. His body heat cancelled out the uncomfortable cold feeling of the water, so all she was left with was the intense sensation of him being inside her. It did not take long for their climax to come and when they yelled out together, she could feel the presence inside her burst to the surface and she was pushed back inside her subconscious.

Lucas sensed the change in Gail instantly as her darkness took control and he decided to let his twin out to play. With his twin in control he pulled out of her, turned her around so she could stand with her back to him and bent her over slightly. 'Take a deep breath love, this is gonna sting' he whispered in her ear and pushed himself into the forbidden part of her that he had been banned from entering previously.

Gail bit her lip hard at the excruciating pain she felt as he forced himself inside the part of her she would not allow any man to take; however, the thing in control of her held onto his hands that were gripping her hips and pushed back slightly to force him deeper inside. She closed her eyes and tried to protest the act but part of her was enjoying this rough treatment and she was silenced.

Although his twin was in control, Lucas was as gentle as he could be and nipped affectionately at her neck. If he felt any indication that she was not ready for this he would seize control instantly and use his powers to try to subdue her darkness.

Gail let out a painful moan, then began to relax into the movement and felt herself become aroused. She took hold of his right hand and moved it between her legs, then reached back for his hips and pulled him to her in acceptance of the act.

Lucas relaxed at her acceptance and began to fully enjoy what his twin was doing, she was his and he would always be the only one that was allowed to take this part of her. He let out a load moan at the intense pleasure of her tightness and lay back in his subconscious while his twin quickened the pace. His hands played with her sweet spot as he sensed her climax coming, then let himself go and called out her name as he erupted inside her.

Gail yelled out his name as the intense orgasm hit her and lay back into his chest. She winced in pain as he pulled himself out of her gently and she began to feel the control returning back to her. She relaxed into him then allowed him to wrap his arms around her stomach and he began kissing her neck tenderly.

Lucas allowed Gail a moment of silence to gather her thoughts as he nuzzled at her neck. He had never experienced this much fondness or concern of a woman and he was genuinely in awe of how she made him feel. 'Are you OK?' he whispered in her ear, then continued to gently kiss her neck.

Gail forced a laugh, then cringed at the shot of pain that ran through her behind at the slight movement. 'I'm sore' she said and closed her eyes to gather her composure at the realisation of what had just happened. It was not Lucas's fault, she had felt a part of her will him to do it and she was more concerned that she had lost control to something so easily.

Lucas pulled her tighter to his warm body and stroked his nose over the side of her cheek affectionately. 'That's to be expected Darlin', how did you find it?' he asked curiously.

Gail took a deep breath, 'It won't be becoming a regular thing if that's what you're getting at' she said reaching her hand behind to nestle into his hair and pulled him to her for a kiss.

Lucas kissed her softly and smiled when she bit his lip affectionately, she had not said she did not enjoy it and she clearly was not mad at him. 'I would never do anything you didn't want me to' he whispered in her ear.

Gail turned around in his arms and ran her hands over his chest, 'I know...what I want right now is to get out of this freezing water' she said and placed a kiss on his chest.

Lucas laughed and picked her up in his arms, 'Well if that's what the lady wants, who am I to argue' he said and walked them back towards the riverbank.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Gail sat back on her porch with her feet up on the table in front of her and Rocky resting his head on the top of her legs. She stroked her companion affectionately whilst feeding him dog biscuits and tried to ignore the soreness she felt after her antics with Lucas the previous night. Being this way with Rocky relaxed her and she made a mental note to spend more time together, just the two of them.

The pain and aches that she was experiencing would not have been so bad this morning had she would have sent Lucas home after the unexpected acts performed in the river; however, her judgement around him recently was had been flawed and taking full advantage of Caleb being on a sleep over, they had continued to play long after midnight which left her whole body aching this morning.

Lucas had reluctantly left her at approximately 8:00am as it was the day before Halloween and he had a lot of tasks to complete, which freed her up to think. She had not let on about what Selena had told her about his birthday, she was too preoccupied with thoughts of her Grandpa's old friend Abe and why he would make himself known to her now.

Gail was due to have Matt today for his day leave and Billy had already offered to pick him up, as he was still considering what he could do to help with his situation. She decided she had an hour or two to spare before she had to meet up with them; therefore, she chose to get up from her comfortable position with Rocky and go visit her Uncle Abe.

* * *

Caleb sat in the classroom staring out of the window intently, freedom was just beyond the glass pane and he daydreamed about being outside in the fresh air exploring rather than stuck in this overly bright classroom. Miss Coombs was making them design masks for Halloween, Caleb was not interested in doing that as he had already chosen his Halloween costume and it was much better than any stupid mask.

'Caleb?' Selena asked and stared disapprovingly at the boy who was obviously not listening to her. She knew he was a good boy at heart; however, he was continuously distracted in class and had stopped hiding his desire to be anywhere but here. This was beginning to have an impact on other students in the class who had started acting out when they noticed there was no consequences for Caleb and Selena was getting tired of the insubordination. 'Caleb honey...come back to reality' she said concerned and shook her head when the other children started laughing.

Caleb turned towards the sound of laughter then noticed Miss Coombs was staring at him. 'What?' he asked defensively then instantly regretted his tone when Miss Coombs stare changed from concerned to unimpressed.

Selena walked towards Caleb and decided to insert her authority, this had gone on for far too long and she could not give him special treatment any longer. 'Right, I'm sick and tired of your disinterested attitude Caleb Temple...you can go to the Principles office right now and explain to him what your problem is'

Caleb looked towards Miss Coombs apologetically, 'I didn't mean nothin', I'll be good I promise' he pleaded, knowing Gail would be disappointed in him for being sent out of class.

Selena shook her head, 'Too little too late Caleb, now go and think about what you've done' she said sternly and watched as he walked out of the classroom with his head lowered.

* * *

Gail sat outside the Antique Store in her car contemplating her next move, she did not know why she was nervous and took a deep breath then exited the car. This was a quiet part of town that she had not ventured to before and she noticed that the standalone Store had a certain charm to it.

She was intrigued as to what she might find in the way of trinkets while she was here and entered the Store, cringing at the sound of the bell above the door. She had hoped to sneak in quietly and survey the place before engaging Abraham; however, she had been spotted and the old man behind the counter turned towards her at the sound of the bell.

Abraham stared at the woman in front of him curiously, he recognised her instantly and smiled at the beautiful woman she had become. 'Mornin' Rosie, I wondered how long it would take for you to show up' he said and came from around the counter.

Gail regarded the man suspiciously, now that she had come face to face with him her memories came flooding back including his unusual nickname for her. Her Uncle Abe had always been around when she was younger, especially when her Grandpa had died. He had taught her gardening at his house and always looked sad when he had to take her back to her parents. It was strange but the man felt familiar to her, sort of like family and although she was suspicious of his intentions a part of her felt at ease around him. 'I thought I'd drop by and thank you for my gift' she said nervously.

'No thanks necessary Rosie, I spotted that a few years ago and it reminded me of you...how are you keepin' these days?' he asked as he leaned against the front of the counter.

Gail glanced around the place, she could get lost surveying at the antiques in here and wondering what stories they could tell but she needed to focus. 'As good as I can be I suppose, I'm guardian to my cousin now so that keeps me busy...'

Abraham laughed, 'Between that boy and Lucas Buck, I'm sure you're kept plenty busy' he interrupted in a judgemental tone.

Gail stopped wandering around the room and focused all her attention on Abraham. 'That's right, I remember hearing you're a close friend of Lucas's. What do yo know about me and him?' she asked, playing dumb.

Abraham took a deep breath and sighed, 'I know your parents would roll over in their grave if they knew an Emory was having relations with a Buck. I also know you're a nice girl and shouldn't be givin' yourself over to someone like Lucas'

Gail laughed, 'Oh and how do you presume to know me? I thought you were friends with Lucas anyway, that's not a very friendly thing to say'

Abraham shrugged, 'I'm good friends with the man, he's like a brother to me and I've already told him like I'm telling you...you don't need what he has to offer'

Gail shook her head at the audacity of this man and how personal the conversation had already gotten. She could not believe she was allowing herself to be drawn into this type of conversation with a man she barely knew; however, part of her felt like he had her best interests at heart. 'OK, so elaborate on what I don't need...if you expect me to entertain anything you're saying, give me something to go on and I'll make the decision about what I need'

Abraham knew Lucas was a private man and having kept tabs on Gail over the years, he was aware she could not help but dig into things. Lucas was good at hiding his secrets, she would find it hard to uncover any of them and it was not his place to interfere. 'I told you Rosie, he's like a brother to me...if you came here for dirt on Lucas Buck you might as well turn right back around' he said and returned to the other side of the counter.

Dealing in the artefacts that he did and the company he kept, Abraham was fully aware of the strangeness that was all around him. He could sense something dark beneath the pureness that she was projecting, he could hear it in the tone of her voice and he never remembered his Rosie having anything like that surrounding her in her childhood. He had been in this town long enough to know other forces were at play here and would have to keep an eye on her to make sure she stayed on the straight and narrow.

Gail sighed, that was not why she had came here and she wished she could push Lucas out of the forefront of her mind. 'Why do you call me Rosie?...' she asked changing the subject, '...I remember you always used to call me that, I just can't remember why'

Abraham smiled at being taken back to his past. 'Well, when you first came to my house and I was gardenin' you were obsessed with my roses. You would go missing after school when you were supposed to be home and I would always find you out back with my roses. I've called you Rosie ever since'

Gail nodded in recollection of the events as she approached the counter, she remembered now that she had been fascinated with the blood red roses when she was younger and they had made her feel at peace. She had gotten into gardening not long after that and Abraham had taught her a lot on the subject before she started helping her mother in the garden. 'I remember now...I forgot so much when I was taken away from this town, it's nice being able to recall the good things instead of just the bad'

'I protected you as much as I could Rosie...he only ever got to you once when I wasn't around' he said sadly, remembering the day she ran crying to his place with with a cigarette burn on her arm. Abraham placed his hand over Gail's on the counter, he had thought of her as his little girl at one time as he had never had any children of his own and she had displayed a lot of love towards him, before the incident with her parents. He would not expect her to remember how close they used to be as she was just a child, but he felt a responsibility towards her now that he saw her again.

What Peter did to her that day and to her mother on a regular basis sickened him, it was not his place to get involved with a man and woman's domestic issues; however, he could not help himself that day when his Rosie had been caught up in the violence and had pinned Peter against a wall then dared him to raise his hands against him. After a few choice words Peter did not abuse her again, not after Abraham had threatened to break every bone in his body if he touched that child.

Gail looked down at Abraham's old fragile hand, she did not want to get into the sins of her parents; however, she was happy that she did not have to pretend they were the perfect family. It was good knowing someone was trying to protect her when she was younger, her childhood with her parents could have been a lot worse. 'Enough of that, we don't need to go down that road...I love this Store, have you got any black market stuff that's really old and unusual that you keep for specialist buyers?'

Abraham regarded her suspiciously, 'I can assure you Miss Emory that all my transactions are above board, so there's nothing to report here' he said sarcastically.

Gail laughed, 'I left my Reporters badge in the car so I couldn't care less about the legality of how you acquire your items Uncle Abe...I'm just looking for an unique gift'

Abraham smiled at her referring to him how she used to. 'If your gift is for who I think it is, I have a number of items which might take your fancy...I keep them locked away in my specialist room out back. Follow me' he said and started to walk down the corridor to a dark room at the back.

Gail followed him instinctively, she might as well kill two birds with one stone while she was here.

* * *

Caleb sat outside of the Principles office playing with his hands nervously, Gail would be so disappointed when she found out he had been sent to speak with the Principle and he really did not want to make her angry at him.

'You think I'd let that old cousin of your's regard you in that way son?' Lucas said leaning against the wall next to him.

Caleb stood up and looked around, the receptionist was typing away at her desk and seemed oblivious to Lucas's sudden appearance. 'What are you doin' here?' he whispered.

Lucas shrugged, 'I heard my boy got himself into a little trouble and thought I'd help smooth the situation over'

Before Caleb could respond the door to the Principles office opened, 'Caleb Temple why don't you come on...' the Principle started then stopped when he saw Lucas, 'Sheriff, can I help you?' he asked.

Lucas smiled charmingly, 'Hey Lee...I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I'd stop by to see how my old friend was doing. Everythin' alright with the house?' he asked.

Principle Lee swallowed hard and forced a smile. 'Everything's fine Lucas, the house is great. I'll have to set up some sort of a repayment plan soon to pay you back...'

'There's no rush, what's a bit of cash between two friends? Lee...I'm gonna take young Caleb with me for the day, is that alright with you?' he asked out of courtesy, but would be taking him anyway.

'Whatever you need Lucas...after all you've done for me you can take the boy whenever you want' he said nervously.

Lucas put his arm around Caleb and smiled down at him. 'Do me a favour Lee and don't mention this incident with the boys cousin, you know how women can overreact at the slightest thing'

Lee nodded nervously, he could feel sweat building on his forehead at the attention Lucas was giving him. 'Of course not, whatever you want Lucas'

Lucas smiled, 'Good, you have a good one Lee' he said and led Caleb out of the school.

* * *

Matt had been sat outside the Trinity Library waiting for Gail for half an hour, Billy had not wanted to leave him alone; however, he had convinced him that he was trustworthy enough and he had nowhere to escape to except Gail's house. As Billy was late for his shift at the hospital, he reluctantly agreed to leave him here and made Matt promise he would stay put until Gail arrived. Matt had done just that and was sitting admiring the vastness of the building when his best friend approached.

'Where's Billy' she asked as she give him a hug.

'He had to go, he was late for his shift and I assured him I'd be fine. I've only been here a few minutes anyway' he lied.

Gail regarded him suspiciously, then shrugged. 'Oh well, it's not as if you have anywhere you can escape to except my place'

'That's what I said' Matt laughed and went to walk into the library.

'Wait...' Gail said, '...I'm not in the mood for our Juniper research today, let's do something different'

Matt turned towards his friend, 'Like what? I thought this story was important to you?'

Gail sighed, after her visit with Abe she was in a happy mood and did not want to delve into the potential horrors of Juniper House for a while. 'It's more important for you, but I might have another way around what I want to accomplish with that...I wanna do something fun today, what can we do?' she asked playfully.

Matt was concerned with Gail's behaviour, she had been hell bent on exposing Juniper for their immoral practices; however, this was the first time in a while that she appeared to be in a genuine good mood and he did not have the heart to ruin that. 'OK, what could we do?...' he pondered, '...I know, we could take a run down to Sumter. You'd be getting me back late but Doctor Monroe has been quite lenient with my curfew since I saved him from the inmates last month'

Gail considered his suggestion, disregarding any thoughts about Doctor Monroe and the 'accident'. Sumter was a few hours drive and Lucas would hit the roof when he found out she went out of town with Matt; however, she had received a call from Selena a few minutes earlier informing her that Lucas and Caleb had left the school premises together not long ago, so to hell with what Lucas thought. 'OK, road trip it is' she said smiling and linked her friends arm, then headed for her car.

* * *

Lucas drove down main street on patrol with Caleb in the front passenger seat of his car. He had tasked Ben with being in charge of the front desk and dealing with any Reporters who asked questions about the state of Goat Town due to Gail's article. Poor Ben had no idea what he was getting himself into when he agreed to man the Station without him today. Lucas knew Ben was more than capable of dealing with some Reporters and the exposure could only increase his profile in his sons eyes.

'What are you thinkin' about?' Caleb asked curiously.

'I'm thinkin' about how your cousins attempt to distract me with her recent article has back fired and landed poor Ben in it' he said smiling.

Caleb had read Gail's article today and it did accuse the heads of Trinity, which included Lucas, of turning a blind eye to the poverty stricken households of Goat Town. He had no idea why Lucas would think his cousin would purposely use an article like that to distract him; however, Caleb did not understand why adults did most things so he would keep out of it. 'I'm lookin' forward to the party tomorrow' he said changing the subject.

'Me too son...how's your costume fit?'

Caleb smiled and sat up in his chair with excitement. 'It fit's great!...the whole thing is gonna completely hide who I am, especially the wig'

Lucas laughed, it was good to see his boy genuinely happy for a change. 'Glad to hear it...that's the whole point of Halloween, you get to transform into whoever you want'

Caleb nodded, 'I never thought of it like that, I thought it was more to do with getting candy from people'

Lucas shook his head. 'No sir...one of our ancestors used to throw a big masquerade ball in my mansion every Halloween, it was all about getting suited up and leaving your true identity at the door. It was an exclusive event for the most important people in town and the rule was no one could discuss who they really were, that way you could have a lot of fun without dealin' with the consequences'

Caleb considered this, Gail had taught him that there would always be consequences to his actions and he needed to own them; however, it sounded as though his ancestor did not live by this rule. 'Why don't you throw a big party?' he asked curiously.

'Me? I have no desire to host son, I like to sit back and observe. Besides, the Mayor is more than happy to take to the spotlight on this occasion each year, who am I to stop him'

Caleb smiled, he knew Lucas was calculating and it would be interesting to see what he was like around other people. 'I like to observe too, so does Gail...do you think we'll all stick together at the party tomorrow?'

Lucas took a slight intake of breath at the mention of his loves name, he really needed to get his urges under control. 'The party will be split son, all the women get to do what they do in the garden while the men take control of the house. Children can go wherever they please, but generally stay with the women...you'll be with me and the big boys tomorrow, you can pop and see your cousin in the garden whenever you want though'

'I reckon I will, who else is gonna look after her if I don't?'

Lucas smiled, his boy had become really fond of Gail just like he had. She was lucky to have them both looking out for her best interests, although she would never see it that way. 'Well son, I'm sure she can take care of herself but I've always got a close eye on her just in case'

Caleb nodded, 'Me too' he said and leaned back in his seat.

* * *

Gail returned Matt to Juniper House just after 9:00pm and cursed herself for being so late. She had called her house phone on the way back from Sumter expecting Caleb to pick up; however, he did not answer and Gail tried to hide her worry from Matt. Now that she had returned her friend safely to Juniper, she was free to search for her cousin without having to cater to someone else's feelings.

She drove straight home and found Rocky's food bowl out, which indicated that he had come home at some point to feed him. She began to get really worried and could feel something stirring under her skin with the stress of the situation. Caleb had already stayed over at the boarding house so he would not be there and she trusted her cousin enough not to be roaming the streets aimlessly at this time; therefore, that left only one place for him to be.

Gail pulled up at Lucas's mansion and spotted the porch light on, she exited her car and rushed through the garden to find Caleb in his pyjama's sat with Lucas laughing. 'I was worried...why aren't you at home?' she asked as she walked up the steps.

Lucas patted his son on the knee indicating for him to stay quiet and stood up. 'Why weren't you home Darlin'? I took your cousin to your house and you were nowhere to be found. Billy-boy had no idea where you were, neither did my Deputy so I brought the boy home with me'

Gail glared at Lucas, of course he would try and use anything to get Caleb here. 'I was busy with Matt, since when does that give you free reign to take him? You all knew I'd be home, so don't try and turn this on me' she said defensively and heard the familiar low growl come from behind her, as Gideon stalked his way closer to the porch.

Lucas smiled and felt his twin wanting to provide back up, but that was not necessary as his house would not dare let anything happen to him. He had not been able to sense Gail anywhere around town until half an hour ago and he was very curious as to where she had been, so he did not back off. 'What were you doin' with Harvard to warrant leaving your cousin alone all day? for all you knew he could've returned to your house straight after school and he would've been left until now'

Gail shook her head, 'Really? So you two disappear from the school at 11:00am to do god know what and I'm somehow the bad one for being a little late home? He's not your's to take like that Lucas, you need to back off'

Caleb sat watching them both, he could sense the anger rising between them and it appeared to be caused by him. He did not want anyone to fight, so he stood up between them and tried to diffuse the situation. 'I was just waitin' here for you cous', we didn't know when you'd be back so I got changed into my pyjama's in case I had to go straight to bed. Please don't be mad'

Gail looked from Caleb then back to Lucas, 'Great...you've got a little boy defending you now, is this how this is gonna be?'

Lucas laughed and disregarded what Caleb was trying to do, 'You want to get into this right now Darlin'? I can take my son whenever I want, I don't need your permission'

Gail bit her lip in an attempt to calm herself, she wanted to punch him hard every time he referred to Caleb as his son in front of her. 'I have a custody agreement which states you do need my permission Sheriff and as far as I'm concerned his father is dead so you have no rights here whatsoever'

'Stop it!' Caleb shouted and jumped back as the wild dog Gail was fond of pounced forward onto the porch and began to growl at him.

Lucas stepped forward when Gail did not move, he knew he was protected in his home; however, this place had not had time yet to grow to accept Caleb as much as it had Gail. 'Call off your blood hound Darlin'' he warned, sensing the darkness just below Gail's surface.

The presence within her leaked out and Gail felt herself laugh, 'Or you'll do what Sheriff?' she asked, goading him to make a move.

Lucas smiled devilishly and was ready to let his twin out, 'Don't provoke me Darlin', I guarantee this won't go your way if you do'

'Go wait in the car Caleb' Gail ordered, not taking her eyes off Lucas.

The wind picked up around the garden and leaves were blown onto the porch, Caleb could sense something menacing all around them but neither Lucas or Gail flinched. He saw something different in his cousins eyes and he was beginning to feel confused, he did not understand why they were both behaving in this hostile way and he just wanted them to stop. He thought better than to argue with his cousins order when she was in this strange state and headed towards her car immediately, careful to keep his distance from the dog.

Gideon barred his teeth at Lucas and growled loudly as he approached, Lucas stood his ground and refused to believe this place would favour her above him after all he had done throughout the years; however, it was concerning that it was letting this show go on for as long as it had.

'What's wrong love?...' Gail said in taunting voice unlike her own, '...Are we not feeling any support here tonight?'

This was not good, the darkness inside her appeared to be thriving off the supernatural energy of his place. He needed to insert his dominance now; however, he would not show his true self when his son was in close proximity before the boy was ready, otherwise he risked pushing him away.

Gideon took another step forward towards Lucas and Gail did not appear to care. She could feel the darkness flow through her veins and seemed powerless to stop it, a strong sensation of hatred began to surge through her body and she felt something force it's way through Lucas's mental barrier. 'I remember what your boy did...' she whispered maliciously reading his mind, '...and you don't think he knows what your capable off?'

Lucas felt the urge to take a step back; however, he was not weak and he would face her head on. 'He told you he was sorry Gail' Lucas said, sensing Caleb was far enough away to enable him to let his twin out if required.

'But are you?...' she asked slowly moving forward, '...This was down to you and wanting a spare as the boy wasn't going your way? Would you let it play out that way again if the opportunity arose?'

It was concerning that was referring to Caleb as 'the boy' and that she appeared to know things that she should not. He only ever referred to their child as a spare in front of Merlyn and he knew she would not have said anything about that; therefore, it appeared that his love had found a way to get into his mind.

Lucas was torn with what to do here, he should stop this now; however, her darkness was finally starting to take form and it excited him. This is what he had been waiting for, a chance to see her true self up close and the intrigue of her behaviour was turning him on. 'I'd never let anything happen to you again Darlin'' Lucas said and released his twin to gain control of this situation, knowing it was the best thing to do.

'You...' she hissed devilishly when she sensed his twin and Lucas took a step back with the sudden malevolence in her eyes.

'Rosie?' Abraham called as he hobbled up the steps holding a red rose, 'Look what I brought you dear' he said acting oblivious to what was going on and glanced at Lucas disapprovingly.

Gideon turned towards the old man and went to pounce; however, Gail gave herself a shake and held up a hand for the dog to halt. She turned towards Abraham and stared at the rose thoughtfully, which caused her darkness to subside. 'You still plant them?' she asked in her usual sweet voice and it was evident she had regained control her senses.

Abraham smiled as Gail came to him and placed a supportive arm around his to help him further onto the porch. 'I was never so fussed on them, but as you loved them so much Rosie I didn't have the heart to stop planting them'

Lucas watched in disbelief as the darkness retreated back inside and his love and his friend bonded together. He would have to have a conversation with Abe to find out just how close he used to be with her when she was younger.

'Is Gail alright?' Caleb whispered as he crept up behind Lucas. He had decided to come back on check on them when he saw Gideon slowly retreat and had climbed over the porch rail to get to Lucas's side.

Lucas placed a hand on his shoulder, 'She's fine...she's just going through some changes at the moment. Whatever happened here was my fault, you don't need to be afraid around your cousin'

Caleb nodded, he was not scared he was concerned and curious. Gail was sat with the old man laughing at some shared joke, but she had been so strange a few moments earlier. 'I'm not afraid...' he whispered to Lucas, '...I just want her to be OK'

Lucas smiled, 'Don't you worry son, she'll be fine and dandy for the party tomorrow' he said trying to lighten the mood.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Gail woke up with a throbbing headache after the strange occurrence the previous night, she did not like how easily she seemed to be pushed to one side by an unusual part of herself and it was beginning to take a toll on her. She decided she needed to stop being in denial over what was happening to her and face it head on; therefore, after she made Caleb breakfast and dropped him off at school, she decided to visit Loris Holt at the boarding house in the hopes that she would be able to help.

Loris had been surprised to see Gail so early in the day and roped her into helping put some Halloween decorations around the place for a small gathering she was hosting. 'So, you've developed a fascination with the supernatural...what exactly do you think I can do to assist you in that Gail?' she asked.

Gail smiled knowingly, 'Come on Loris, I saw all the literature Matt had in his room before he was taken away and I know you gave him the books which opened his mind to something...darker shall we say?'

Loris stopped what she was doing, she had always been fond of Gail; however, the woman was a sceptic and it was in her nature to look for evidence before she accepted anything. 'Gail, what do hope to find here? I have books and I have my beliefs but I don't have any hard facts for you?'

'If I was looking for facts and hard evidence Loris I'd be at the hospital. I'm just intrigued about a few things and I'd like a little background, that's all...I could go begging to Lucas Buck for what I need if you'd prefer?' Gail said, knowing Loris would never allow her to do that. She did not know why she disliked Lucas so much; however, it was clear in the way she avoided being anywhere near him that something must have happened with them in the past.

Loris sighed, 'You will not go to that man asking for favours, just give me a minute...what's brought all this on anyhow?' she asked with a hint of suspicion as she led Gail to her private study.

Gail followed Loris into the study, it was filled with old Indian talismans and sculptures which gave the room a haunted feel. 'I just want a better understanding of why there's so much weirdness here...' she lied, '...I'm quite interested in anything you might have on possessions or visions'

Loris regarded Gail cautiously, it was strange that she required information on something so specific if she just wanted a better understanding of the forces at play in this town. She knew Gail had been spending time with Lucas Buck, clearly against her better judgement, Loris wondered whether something had happened to pique her interest. 'Very specific requests for someone who's just looking for general information...are you hiding something Gail?'

Gail smiled, the woman in front of her was not stupid but hiding her true intentions was like second nature to Gail and she had been doing it since she was a child. 'Me? nah...I'm like an open book. I just thought it'd be easier to take in a subject or two at a time rather than the whole supernatural scope'

Loris smiled and relaxed, if there was something going on she believed she would sense it. She had been drawn to certain spirits and forces all her life, she had sensed something in Caleb previously but never Gail. 'OK, well this book deals with both possession and clairvoyance...it should give you an incite into a few things' she said and handed Gail the heavy book.

'Thank you, I appreciate your help' she said and turned to leave.

'Gail, be careful...when Matt started down this road it took him to a dark place'

Gail nodded, she was already in a dark place and as far as she was concerned she had nothing left to lose. 'I'll take it under advisement...thanks again' she said and left the boarding house.

* * *

Caleb got out of the upstairs shower and walked to his bedroom to change into his costume. Gail had been sat on the couch reading a large book ever since he returned home from school, she had made him a sandwich to tide him over until the party and assured him there would be a lot of food at the Mayor's house; therefore, there was no point in her cooking for them.

Gail was acting more like herself and his concern for her was beginning to subside, which meant he was able to put all of his attention on the party. He was so excited and determined to make his costume look just right that he did not notice Merlyn stood in the corner watching.

'You look really good Caleb' she said smiling at her brother.

Caleb turned towards her, 'Do you think? There's a prize for the best costume and I really wanna win it!'

Merlyn laughed, he seemed genuinely excited over the party and she could not bring herself to scold him for hanging around with Lucas. 'I think you'll definitely get it...is Gail taking you tonight?'

'Nope, Lucas is gonna come for me...he's due any minute so I need to hurry Merly' he said, hinting for his sister to leave him be.

Merlyn sighed, 'Fine...you have a good time and I'll come visit you after your party'

Caleb heard a beep from outside and rushed out the room without saying a word to his sister. When he got to the bottom of the stairs Gail stood in front of the door blocking his exit. 'I gotta go cous'!' he said itching to get out of the house.

'He's not gonna go without you Caleb...Besides, your costume wouldn't be complete without a pair of these' she said placing a pair of glasses carefully on his face.

Caleb smiled appreciatively at his cousin then gave her a big hug. 'You're still comin' aren't you?' he asked concerned as she had not started to get ready.

Gail opened the door for him, 'I am...I'm just not in as much of a rush as you are to get there. Now go and be good, I'll see you there in an hour or so'

Caleb gave his cousin another hug then rushed out of the door towards Lucas's car.

* * *

When they pulled up at the Mayors mansion Caleb was taken aback by the excessive Halloween decorations, there were lanterns leading from the parking area to the middle of the front garden path then they split in two directions. Silver lanterns lit the way for the woman's path to the the back garden, with rose petals sprinkled along the ground and blue lanterns lit the way to the main house for the men.

They both got out of the car and Caleb was finally able to take in Lucas's full costume. He was dressed in a black suit with red velvet lining on the inside and a cape, his hair was slicked back and a skull mask rested on his nose, covering the top half of his face. 'You look good son, very reminiscent of Matt Crower' he said to Caleb as he pulled out a long black cane with a silver wolfs head grip on the top.

Caleb looked down at his costume confused, 'I don't understand?'

Lucas laughed, Caleb had chosen to dress up as a mad scientist and had gone for the full transformation, Einstein wig and all. 'Never mind son, should we head in?' he said placing an arm around his boy and leading him to the main entrance.

* * *

Gail stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom wearing just her underwear and was curling her hair, she was late for the party due to being engrossed in the book she had gotten from Loris and she could not motivate herself to quicken her pace. She had been too preoccupied to buy a costume, thankfully Abraham had stopped by earlier and dropped off three costumes for her to choose from. Considering she had only just reconnected with the man, he had predicted her mood perfectly and there was one costume in particular that she was drawn to.

A knock on her bedroom door made her jump and she turned around at the unexpected intrusion when she was meant to be alone. 'M? What are you doing here? Caleb's gone out' she said, turning back to curling her hair.

Merlyn stood at the door, she had been standing around for close to an hour trying to get the courage to talk to Gail alone as she was worried about her. She stared at Gail's toned figure and full breasts curiously, then glanced down at her own figure in disappointment. 'I know he's gone to a party. I'm sorry to bother you...I just wanted to see how you were' she said nervously when she found her voice.

Gail glanced over her shoulder at the girl in white and then started to clip some of her curls up. 'You don't need to be concerned about me...don't you ever get sick of that white dress?' she asked curiously.

Merlyn shrugged and looked down at her attire, she had begun to resent the colour white but it was not as though she had a choice in what she could wear.

'We all have a choice' Gail said subconsciously reading her mind and walked towards the costumes laid out on her bed. Something stirred beneath Gail's skin and her mind projected the image of water forming into a solid ice cube.

Merlyn felt a sensation flow through her which pushed away her transparency, the change was instant and she giggled at the ticklish feeling of Rocky licking her bare ankle.

Gail reached for the costume she initially considered wearing then threw it towards Merlyn. 'There you go, that's as far from white as you can get...get dressed, you might aswell be my plus one at this party' she said reaching for her costume.

Merlyn glanced down at the outfit in her hand, she did not know what had happened to make her feel whole; however, she knew it was something to do with Gail and her concern was pushed away by an excited feeling that began to surge through her at the thought of going to her first fancy dress party.

* * *

Selena stood in her cat woman costume with a Martini, alone in the large garden. She wore a skin tight leather all in one play suit and could feel all the disapproving eyes on her. She had agreed to be Billy's plus one to this party out of curiosity, as she had never been invited and she thought Billy would remain at her side; however, what she failed to account for was that the men and woman were separated in line with the Mayor's tradition, so she was stuck here staring at the large pool trying to ignore the whispers around her from all the lonely housewives.

'Now seriously, was there any need for that costume?' Gail asked as she approached Selena.

Selena let out a sigh of relief when she heard the familiar voice, she turned around and ran her hand down her body teasingly. 'What this old thing?...' she laughed, '...Besides, you're one to talk, where did you find that costume?'

Gail had decided on a vampire bride costume which consisted of a short black corset dress that frilled out at the bottom and had silver lace wrapped around it messily. She had chosen to wear a pair of long black fishnet stockings, black stiletto heels and a silver veil, with large strands of her loose curly hair protruding out of it. As she was going for a Gothic style to match her mood of late, she had applied her makeup thickly and between the blood red lipstick, pale face and smokey black eye make-up, she pulled off the undead look nicely.

Gail ran a hand slowly across her chest in answer to Selena's previous move and acted oblivious, 'Oh this little thing? I just threw it together'

Selena was beginning to admire the woman in front of her, she was wearing a more daring outfit than hers and she did not seem fazed by the whispers of the unimaginative women around them. 'Who's your friend' she asked, noticing a teenage girl in what appeared to be a little red riding hood costume stood timidly behind Gail.

'That's M, don't mind her she's just a little shy' Gail said and signalled the girl to move closer.

Selena regarded the girl curiously, there was something familiar about her that she could not place. 'Have we met before?' she asked.

Merlyn looked from Selena to Gail nervously, no one had ever seen her; however, she still had a slight fear of being recognised. She was thankful when Gail put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed affectionately.

'M is a mystery to us all...' Gail said and picked up a glass of Champagne that was being brought around by waiters dressed in sailor outfits. '...where's all the men?' she asked curiously, taking the pressure off Merlyn.

Selena shrugged and took a large sip of her Martini, 'Inside I assume, apparently the women and men are split every year at this party'

Gail glanced around and saw all the other women obediently making small talk with each other. 'Well I don't know about you, but no man is segregating me' she said defiantly and began to walk through the crowd of women with Merlyn and Selena in pursuit. Just before she could make it to the back door, she was greeted by the Mayor's wife Mary.

'Gail, so nice of you to make it. You look wonderful!' Mary said and gave a welcoming kiss on her cheek.

Gail took a deep breath, she hated these pointless friendly niceties and put on her best fake smile. 'Thank you so much for the invite, this place looks great and I love your fairy costume'

Mary smiled, she was happy Gail had showed up as she grew bored of the usual company she had to keep at this annual event. The other women were so boring and controlled by their men, whereas her friend did not care what the men of this town thought and would happily challenge their authority. 'Where are you heading off to?' Mary asked, when she noticed the two people behind her friend.

Gail bit her lip in exasperation, she was so close to the door and this woman was in her way. 'I need to find Caleb, my other cousin has come to town and he needs to meet her' she said, linking an arm around Merlyn.

'I think he's in with the men, I'm sure he'll come out soon. The kids always stay out here with us women, I can't imagine what the men get up to in there' she said and glanced towards someone calling her name.

Gail smiled, 'Your right, I can wait out here for him...you go see to your guest, she's really trying to get your attention'

Mary gently squeezed her friends shoulder then went to the woman in need, leaving Gail with Selena and Merlyn. Gail watched carefully as Mary turned her back to them, then she headed towards the door.

'Wait, you said we were waitin' here' Merlyn said confused.

Gail laughed, 'Are you waiting here Selena?'

Selena shook her head, 'Am I hell'

'Good, now come on before we're spotted' Gail said opening the back door.

* * *

Lucas stood talking business with Doctor Charlton, the head of the hospital and Tommy Blake, the head caretaker of the Library. Caleb stood at Lucas's side and listened carefully as both men discussed funding for their institutes, Lucas nodded in all the right places and made them believe he was interested in what they had to say; however, when they turned towards each other and engaged in further conversation over the subject, he made a quick exit with Caleb in tow.

'I don't know about you son but all this shop talk is making me thirsty' he said and poured himself a whiskey from the open bar, then handed Caleb a beer.

'I'm not sure whether the boy's cousin would approve of that beverage' Billy said as he approached.

Lucas sighed, 'Who let you into this fine establishment Doc?'

Billy smiled, 'I got an invite from the Mayor, apparently I'm seen as one of the generals in this town'

'I'd like to be a general' Caleb said innocently and took a sip of the beer, it tasted strange but he would finish it like an adult would.

'You can be more than a general son, you've just got to strive for something bigger' Lucas said and shook his head at Billy's batman costume. He was just about to berate the man when he heard disapproving whispers coming from all around him and the room became quiet. Lucas turned towards the door that everyone was staring at and took a deep intake of breath when he saw Gail walking confidently into the room wearing stockings, heels and a tight mini corset dress with a veil trailing from the top of her hair to her behind.

Gail disregarded the disapproving looks of the men in the room and continued to look for her cousin, when she spotted him with Lucas and Billy she approached them with Selena and Merlyn in tow. Glancing at Lucas, she noted that his costume reminded her of an old depiction of Dracula that she had seen growing up and his mask gave him an air of mystery. She tried to push aside thoughts of ripping his suit open with her nails and focused on Caleb. 'You still look great!' she said smiling and gave her cousin a hug.

'So do you! I'm glad you made it'

'I'm not the only one who came, I brought M as my plus one' she said and turned towards Merlyn who stood nervously next to Selena.

Caleb ran to his sister and hugged her, 'Merly you look so different!' he whispered.

Merlyn hugged him back and cupped his face in her hand gently, 'I feel so different' she whispered back at him.

Lucas walked behind Gail and inhaled her scent deeply, he could feel his manhood begin to harden when the bottom of her dress brushed against him slightly, 'It appears you've led a group of trespassers into a private party...what ever am I going to do with you?' he whispered in her ear seductively.

Gail tensed slightly when she felt his warm breath on her ear, then turned her head towards him slightly and gazed up into his eyes. 'It may be time for your handcuffs Sheriff' she whispered and smiled when he took another deep intake of breath.

'You ladies cannot be in here!' Mayor John said, interrupting the exchange and Lucas shot him an irritated glance when Gail stepped away from him.

'Why not Mr Mayor, have you got something to hide?' she asked sweetly.

John turned towards Lucas for assistance, a lot of business got discussed with the heads of the most important families in Trinity at his parties and he did not want women spoiling their tradition, especially a Reporter.

Lucas went to John's side then shook his head in exasperation when he saw the warning look Gail gave him. It was either he stood up for the yearly tradition or his love, either way there would be consequences. 'The Mayor is right Darlin', this is an exclusive event that has it's traditions...'

Gail laughed, 'Oh that's the side you're taking Sheriff?' she interrupted.

Lucas bit his lip to hide his frustration, he could feel all eyes on him and he was not used to a public display that he had not orchestrated. 'Now hang on there Missy, did I say I was finished?' he said inserting his dominance. If she was going to challenge him publicly he would not think twice about putting her down a peg or two.

Gail shook her head in disbelief, she could sense all attention was on them and she was not impressed at this little display. 'Sorry Sheriff...' she said sarcastically, '...do go on'

'Now where was I? Oh yes, so there are traditions we follow in this town Darlin' that need to be respected...' he said to Gail, then turned his attention to the John sensing a way to make this work for him. '...However, we are missing the head of one of the most important families in our towns history and we have been since that terrible 4th of July accident'

It took John a moment to realise what Lucas was hinting at, it was only when the other men in the room began to whisper that he fully understood. 'Lucas this is a men's society, not a women's. It was unfortunate what happened to Peter but...'

Gail sensed an opening and took it, if she could get in with the elite men's society she could no doubt uncover all sorts of thing. 'Unfortunate?..' she interrupted, '...from what I remember growing up here, my father and his father before him contributed a lot to this little society long before you were Mayor. I'd say what happened was a little more than unfortunate don't you think?' she said sternly.

Lucas smiled, atta girl following his lead and showing her strength. It would go a long way if she could convince the men in this room that she was not weak and if this went the way he wanted it to, she would be the first woman ever allowed in their ranks and she would owe him.

John started to play with his hands nervously, everyone was looking at him and he did not know what to say. 'I'm sorry, I just...it's just that we don't allow women...Lucas?' he said praying for some help.

Lucas looked towards Doctor Charlton who was the head of one of the oldest families in Trinity and the man approached the group obediently, 'Calm down John, you'll give yourself a brain aneurysm. Although seeing you lovely ladies is like a breath of fresh air it's about time you got back to Mary's party, she always puts a lot of effort in to make everything perfect and I'm sure you'd all hate to offend her'

Gail glanced towards Lucas who just shrugged. She had gotten what she needed and found out who was in league with Lucas just by surveying the room; therefore, she decided not to argue and signalled for Selena and M to follow her back to Mary's party.

'Where are you goin' Miss Emory?' Doctor Charlton asked.

Gail turned back towards the man, 'Nowhere it appears' she said confidently, trying to hide her confusion and nodded towards Caleb reassuringly to signal for him to follow Selena.

'Well that's settled...' Lucas said loudly to the room, '...let's get on with this party'

Doctor Charlton walked towards Gail when everyone reverted back to their previous conversations and placed a hand on her shoulder. 'Your father was a good friend of mine, I was sad when he passed...the Sheriff will show you around, I hear you two are mighty friendly these days' he said with a knowing smile then walked away.

Gail turned towards Billy and let out a relieved exhale, 'Well that was different' she said smiling.

Billy laughed, 'You don't half know how to light up a room and in that outfit as well, you're crazy'

'She's not crazy, she got balls Doc...' Lucas said then offered out his hand, '...shall I give you to tour Miss Emory?'

Gail took his hand and tried to ignore the shot of electricity that flowed through her when they touched. 'Lead the way Sheriff' she said and let Lucas lead her out of the room.

Lucas took Gail around the mansion, providing commentary on the way about the decor and paintings that were on the walls. When they made their way upstairs, he took her to the master bedroom where John and Mary slept then closed the door behind them.

Gail walked around the room admiring the pictures on the walls and the trinkets dotted around the place, it was a large bedroom with a balcony overlooking the back garden and she was impressed with how well decorated the place was. She was so preoccupied with her exploration of the room that she did not notice Lucas had come behind her, she gave a slight jump when she felt his hand brush against her leg and leaned back into him when his fingers ran up her fishnet stockings.

Lucas nuzzled his nose into her neck and playfully pulled at her stockings. Gail inhaled deeply in an attempt to stay in control and stepped out of his grasp. 'Not here' she protested and walked towards the balcony.

Lucas smiled and followed close behind her. 'You show up dressed like that and you think I'm gonna be able to control myself? Not a chance Darlin' he said when he reached her and turned her around to face him. He knelt down in front of her and ran his hands up the sides of her legs to her panties, then looked up at her as he pulled them down and she obediently stepped out of them.

When he went to remove his mask, Gail reached down and gently took hold his hand. 'Leave it on...I like this look on you'

Lucas's smile grew wider and he stared deep into her eyes as his finger ran gently over her sweet spot, then licked her teasingly with his tongue. Gail let out a soft moan and reached down to nestle her hand in his hair. Sensing her acceptance he began to nip at her sweet spot then pushed his tongue inside her, he grabbed her hips in his hands to steady her and made patterns inside her with his tongue.

Gail was trying hard not to call out his name loudly, the balcony window was open and she did not want to be detected. She glanced down at him in his mask as he used his tongue on her and he looked like an Adonis to her, she let him pleasure her this way for a few moments longer before pulling him up to her and kissing him passionately. 'You show up in that and you think I can control myself?' she asked as she ran her thumb gently over his wet lips, then let her hands trail down to his chest.

Lucas brought his hand up to her cheek and stroked her lips tenderly, then took a deep intake of breath when she licked the tip on his thumb and took it in her mouth seductively. 'What are you doin' to me?' he asked in awe then gripped her face in his hands and began to kiss her forcefully.

When they broke away from their embrace Gail carefully removed her veil and began to pace the room, whilst glancing over her shoulder now and again. 'I appear to be making you unravel Sheriff' she said and stroked her hand teasingly up her fishnet stockings.

Lucas stalked her slowly around the room. 'I can't deny that Darlin'...you somehow managed to get me to let you into our men's club without even opening your mouth'

Gail bit her lip and looked over her shoulder, 'Would like me to open my mouth Sheriff?' she asked playfully.

Lucas shook his head, walked behind her and placed his hands around her stomach so he could pull her to him. 'You certainly are in a racy mood aren't you?' he whispered, then nipped at her neck.

Gail lay back into him and smiled, 'Isn't this what a vampire bride should be like with her Dracula?'

Lucas pushed her slightly forward so she was bent over and could grip a bed post, then unzipped his pants. 'No this is how a vampire should be with her ruler' he said and thrust himself deep inside her.

Gail gripped the post tight and called out his name, she could feel something underneath her skin trying to burst out and take control but she forced it right back down as this was her time. As he thrust in and out of her she could feel the intense pleasure rising from within her, they should not be doing this act in her friends bedroom; however, that only added to her arousal and she moved her hips backwards to push him deeper inside.

Lucas grabbed her hips and started thrusting in and out of her more forcefully, he could not get enough of the feeling when he was inside of her and he had to have her his way. When their orgasm hit, they both called out together then Lucas continued to pound in and out of her. He was not finished with her and he commended her for her stamina as he was working her hard.

Gail moaned loudly at his relentless pounding and the intense pleasure it gave her, the heels she wore were making it hard for her to stay still comfortably; however, she ached for him and would deal any discomfort or pain at a later time, right now there was nothing else but the exquisite feel of him inside her and she was not ready for him to stop. His movement began to quicken and she felt her climax build within her again, the feeling was so intense that she called out his name over and over with every thrust and she felt him erupt inside of her their climax hit.

Lucas stayed where he was for a few moments allowing them both to catch their breaths then pulled out of her gently, reached for a tissue from the bottom of the bed and cleaned her off. He pulled her upright, turned her towards him and kissed her passionately. 'You certainly are somethin' Darlin'' he said when he pulled away slightly.

Gail smiled, 'You're not half bad yourself Sheriff' she said playfully and started glancing around the room to locate her underwear. When she found her panties she put them back and began to walk out of the room, 'We better head back to this party. I'm gonna stay with Billy and I expect you to leave us be...Can you put some time aside for me later before we leave though? We need to discuss something'

Lucas was still trying to catch his breath and was intrigued at her request. 'You go back down Darlin', I'll leave you with Billy-boy and I'll meet you later'

Gail smiled, 'Until then Sheriff' she said teasingly and headed out of the room.

* * *

Caleb stood in the crowd of woman guests with Merlyn and Selena, waiting for the men to join them all so the results of the fancy dress competition could be announced. When Gail came strolling out of the building talking to Billy, Caleb waved and began to search the crowd for Lucas.

'I'm right here son' Lucas said appearing behind him and smiled when Merlyn glanced at him disapprovingly.

'Sorry I left you' Caleb said feeling bad that he had abandoned Lucas.

Lucas placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'No need for that son, it's fine that you wanted to spend some time with your friend' he said and looked towards Merlyn.

Gail joined the group and stood by Merlyn, while Billy went to Selena's side and gave her an apologetic glance for leaving her all night. The party was winding down and they all waited patiently for the results to be called.

Mary took to the stage she had put up for this occasion and regarded the crowd warmly, with her husband and son by her side. 'We've tallied up the votes for best costume and the winner for the boys is...our very own mad scientist Caleb Temple!' she said and the garden erupted in applause.

Caleb looked at Lucas excitedly and he smiled back at him proudly. 'Go on son, you did good' he said and watched as his boy gave Gail a hug then ran up to the stage.

Mary smiled and took Caleb's hand. 'OK, that's our first winner. The winner for the best dressed female is...' she said and glanced towards Gail.

Gail stared at the woman in horror and shook her head, then shot a glance at Merlyn. Mary sighed but honoured her friends wishes, '...our little red riding hood!' she finished and the applause began again.

Merlyn stood frozen on the spot, she did not understand what was happening until Gail stroked her back reassuringly then leaned close and whispered in her ear to go to the stage. Mary took her hand and stood for a moment with both Caleb and Merlyn on either side of her. 'Now that we have our winners it's time to dish out the prizes'

Gail smiled warmly at the two on stage, then turned her attention to Lucas when the music started up and signalled for him to follow her. She made her way through the crowd discreetly and found a private spot behind a large tree far enough away from the party to give then some privacy.

Lucas made his way through the crowd a few moments after Gail, to not arouse suspicion and found her under the shadow of the tallest tree in the Mayor's garden. He was intrigued as to what this little meeting was about and regarded her cautiously when he saw her pacing nervously. He approached her slowly and stroked her arm tenderly, to reassure her that everything would be fine.

Gail turned towards Lucas and smiled at his attempt to comfort her. 'Don't be mad...I'm not going to say anything, I'm just going to give you this' she said and handed him a small box wrapped carefully in navy blue paper.

Lucas looked at the box suspiciously not knowing why she was giving it to him, then remembered her mentioning she had dug something up on him. Part of him was furious with Selena for opening her mouth, but his anger began to subside when Gail touched his arm affectionately.

'This is for my lover, not for the object of a story. My lips are sealed...' she said noticing he appeared angry, then placed a tender kiss on his lips. '...Happy birthday' she whispered in his ear and turned away from him to return to the party.

Lucas grabbed her arm before she could leave and pulled her close, then kissed her forcefully. She returned his kiss for a moment, then broke free of his grasp and went to walk back towards the party. 'Wait...' he said reaching into his suit pocket, '...I have something for you'

Gail froze when she saw him pull out a small box and stared at it disbelief, hoping it was not what it looked like. She took the box that he held out to her and cautiously opened it, then let out a sigh of relief when she realised what it was. 'What did you do?' she asked surprised and wrapped the unusual necklace around her fingers for closer inspection.

Lucas smiled nervously, he had never given a woman such a sentimental keepsake and was unsure of how she would react. 'I hope you like it...it's an antique talisman which is thought to provide the wearer protection against evil spirits'

'It's nice of you giving me something that could ward you off, I don't see how it would benefit you though' she said sarcastically.

Lucas laughed, 'I'll disregard that comment Darlin'...do you like it?'

Gail turned the necklace over in her hands, it gave off a strange aura and it fascinated her. 'I'm not sure what I did to warrant such a gift, but I love it...thank you' she said placing a soft kiss on his lips, then caressed his cheek tenderly and turned away to find Caleb as he would be missing her about now.

Lucas watched her leave, then turned the box she had given him over in his hand. He was not used to receiving presents on his birthday as he kept the date quiet and ensured everyone was too busy with the festivities to notice. He ripped the paper carefully, then opened the box to find a gold antique pocket watch with the initials LB engraved into it. He smiled at the subtle gesture and clipped it on the inside pocket of his suit, then headed back down to the party to perform for his townspeople.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Merlyn Temple stood in the large cemetery staring sadly at her fathers grave. From observing Gail with her friends and how they described all their problems, she realised her father had been damaged due to past experiences. She did not understand why he had taken his anger out on her when he drank; however, she had forgiven him and wished she would have been able to be more of a help when her mother died.

Lucas was to blame with everything that had gone wrong in her life, she had no doubt of that; however, since the fancy dress party he had not attempted to sabotage her at all and due to whatever Gail had done, she could still feel things.

Merlyn had felt different since that night and as the days had gone by the whispers she always heard from her fallen family began to fade. This was concerning as her fallen family had been all around her since the day she had died and she felt lost without their guidance. She had also began to feel aches within her body and this morning when she was at Gail's house her stomach had been rumbling, which prompted Gail to cook her breakfast and make her eat the whole plate. Eating had helped ease the aches and Gail had made her promise to come by at regular intervals throughout the day to get some food to fuel her body; however, Merlyn had never had to eat before and had retreated from the house as soon as she could.

The whole situation was unnerving, she felt alive and could not explain why. She turned towards her grave and a single tear ran down her cheek, she had been cheated out of a life and at one point she would have given anything to have another chance; however, this felt unnatural and the last time she was whole like this, it was at the cost of an unborn child.

Merlyn shook her head, she was worried that she did not seem to be in control of what was happening to her and she needed answers. Gail was still acting as though she was oblivious to who Merlyn was, so she would have to go to the one person who she would never of thought she would seek help from.

* * *

Gail sat at her usual Coffee Shop wit Matt, waiting for Ben to arrive. She had headed out early after making sure Caleb's friend was fed and decided to get Matt then meet Ben for their usual morning chat.

Matt sat awkwardly playing with his hands and this action was beginning to irritate Gail, she was trying to place him in situations where he had to get used to contact with other people as his dependency on her was beginning to bother her. 'Will you relax, it's just Ben' she said and took a sip of her green tea.

'Ben is the one that took me to Juniper House Gail' Matt said and continued to fidget.

'Only after you took a shot at the Sheriff Matt...' she said irritably, '...He's my friend and he was here when you weren't. Don't condemn him for doing his job'

Matt looked at Gail curiously, something was clearly bothering her as she was never normally this defensive. 'I'm your friend to, do you want to tell me what's bothering you?'

'Your like a child!...' she snapped without thinking, '...Between yours and Caleb's dependency on me, I feel like I can't breathe. All I want to do is have a nice morning chat with my friend like I normally do, I don't need this awkwardness'

Matt was taken aback by her honesty. He was not mad or upset with her, he was concerned as she did not normally show the affects of pressure and he knew something else must be going on. 'You can take me back Gail...I wouldn't be offended' he said, trying to make things easier for her.

'Don't be silly...' Gail sighed, '...I would never do that. It's just I have something I need to do and I could've done with a day to myself, that's all. You haven't done anything wrong and your not a burden, I'm just going through stuff that's all'

Matt smiled, he appreciated that she was trying not to blame him for her mood. 'OK, so take the time for yourself and drop me off somewhere...I haven't seen Miss Holt in a while, she might not mind me being around for a few hours'

It had not occurred to her that Matt had become friends with Loris while he had been residing at the boarding house, she could finish the book Loris had borrowed her while he was there and drop it back off when she picked him up later. 'That's a good plan, providing you don't mind being with her for a little while. We could go out with Caleb for something nice to eat later and you could meet his friend M'

'I don't mind at all, it would be nice seeing Loris again' he said and took a sip of his coffee.

Gail smiled, 'Fantastic, now all we need is for Ben to hurry up so we can get on with our day'

* * *

Lucas sat in his office going through reports of the towns activities that Ben had put together the previous day, his Deputy was running late; however, he was aware of the daily Coffee Shop meetings that Ben had with Gail and he would not dare scold his Deputy if that was the reason he was late, as he would not want to deal with his loves wrath.

Gail had been avoiding him since the Mayor's party, considering how she had left it with him and the nice gesture she had done with his present he was confused as to why she suddenly did not want to see him. His mind began to wander to thoughts of what she was doing and their last encounter in the Mayor's bedroom, then he was taken out of his reverie by an intrusive feeling and glanced up to see Merlyn Temple stood in his office wearing an outfit that was not her usual white ensemble. 'Well look at you Missy, don't you look pretty in red' he said standing up from his desk.

As Merlyn felt whole again, she had chosen to disregard any item of clothing which was white while she had the chance. Since the fancy dress party, she had been fascinated with the colour red and Gail had told her she must have found her favourite colour. Her cousin had allowed her to use some of her clothes and she had chosen to wear a loose red tunic with a pair of black leggings. Although she would not admit it, she was happy Lucas had noticed her different style and her cheeks began to blush at his comment. 'I'm not here for niceties Lucas...I think I need your help' she said.

Lucas smiled curiously, he sensed something different about their resident ghost and it must be bad if she was coming to him for help. 'You know how this works Merly Ann...I'm more than happy to assist you in any way you want, but for a price' he said standing up from his chair and walking around to the front of his desk.

Merlyn shook her head, she did not want to go down this road with Lucas; however, she had nowhere to turn and she needed to understand what was happening to her. 'After what you did to me and the fact that I've kept my mouth shut around Caleb and Gail, I'd say you owe me Lucas'

Lucas's smile grew wider, it was not often people stood up to him and he liked it when they fought back. He could tell it was taking all of her self control not to lash out at him and it must be killing her pride to come to him for help; therefore, he would respect the sacrifice she was making and give her a pass this time. 'Let's get one thing straight Missy, I did you a favour. You weren't living you were just a shell of a child stuck with an abusive drunk of a father, that was no life. Look at how much you've accomplished since I released you, you'd have still be trapped in that cage if I hadn't helped you break free'

Merlyn shook her head in disbelief, he genuinely believed his actions were for the greater good. 'OK, well as my guardian you won't mind helping me with something' she said sarcastically.

Lucas sighed and sat on his desk, 'Just this once I'll help you free of any deal, but never again. So what is it you need?' he asked.

Merlyn swallowed hard, she could not understand why she was nervous but she was. 'I can't hear anybody'

Lucas laughed, 'You can hear me just fine Missy'

Merlyn rolled her eyes, 'You're not understanding Lucas, I can't hear anybody up there and I feel...well that's just it, I feel!'

Lucas stopped laughing and regarded her suspiciously, he'd been in her place and he remembered how hard it had been to get rid of the voices of all the preaching souls up there; however, Merlyn was not like him and appeared to have embraced the voices, so there was no reason why they would stop guiding her. 'What do mean you feel Merlyn Ann?'

Melrlyn started chewing her bottom lip nervously, she could see the suspicion and concern on his face. 'I feel hungry, I feel tired and achy, I feel the wind on my skin...for god's sake I feel my teeth biting my lip'

Lucas stood up from the desk and walked towards Merlyn, when he raised his hand up to her face she took a defensive step away. 'Do you want my help or not?' he asked and when she took a step closer he continued with his inspection.

Merlyn felt a twinge of electricity flow threw her when Lucas stroked her cheek, then let his hand trail from her neck down her arm and to her hand. He picked up her hand gently then brought it to his nose and inhaled her scent. 'How long have you been like this?' he asked.

Merlyn shrugged, 'It started just before the fancy dress party'

Lucas released her hand and began to pace his office, this could not be right; however, she was stood right in front of him providing undeniable evidence. 'Well I can tell you what's wrong with you, but I can't tell you why just yet'

Merlyn nodded, 'OK...so spill' she said, not caring of the consequences that the information might have.

Lucas turned towards her and smiled to hide his irritation, 'Well it appears you're very much live and kickin' Missy'

'What?!...that's not possible' she snapped.

'Oh it's possible and it is why you've stopped hearing the voices. I could've done this for you a long time ago, but had no reason to...the problem is that I'm the only one that could've done it and we both know I didn't, so we have a mystery on our hands'

Merlyn subconsciously started playing with her hands. This was not right, she was supposed to be dead and she never asked to be brought back, this was not natural. The other concerning aspect to all of this is she knew it was Gail somehow; however, Lucas clearly had no idea. Merlyn would not give this information away and guarded her thoughts so he could not listen to what she was thinking.

Lucas watched Merlyn closely, she was hiding something from him and he did not like it. 'I will find out how this happened, no matter how long it takes' he said.

Merlyn walked a few steps back towards the office door. 'Good...be sure to let me know what you find' she said not giving anything away and left his office.

* * *

Gail sat comfortably on Lucas's porch reading the last page of the book Loris had borrowed her, while she stroked Gideon softly. It had been nearly a week since the Mayors Halloween party and she had decided to avoid Lucas until she had a better understanding of what force inside her was so drawn to his dark side. She could not deny the presence within her any longer and she needed to find a way to gain full control of herself.

It was early in the day when Lucas was still at work so she had chosen to come to his place for some privacy away from Caleb and tried to finish her book. Gideon had appeared out of nowhere as usual and she had subconsciously let her new companion jump onto the porch swing and rest his head on her knee. She had been content in this position for over an hour and had not noticed the dark figure which lurked behind a tree at the edge of the garden. The figure was watching Gail with interest and willed her to approach. Gideon jumped down from his position next to her and slowly walked down the porch steps making a low growl.

She read the last few sentences of the book, then set it to one side. The book had given her some insight into her situation and after a lot of contemplation she had chosen to accept that there was something inside her trying to take control in certain instances. She did not yet understand whether the presence was trying to hurt her or protect her and knew it all sounded crazy; however, she had seen a lot of strangeness in this town and would not deny what she felt to be the truth for any longer. Her acceptance of this darkness inside her gave her some clarity and she believed that this was the first step in learning to control whatever it was.

Gail turned her attention towards Gideon, noticing he had uncharacteristically left her on the porch alone. She experienced an unfamiliar sensation run through her body then looked towards the tree hiding the dark figure and Gideon skulking towards it. Gail stood up and walked off the porch feeling drawn towards the edge of the garden. She had not ventured that far into Lucas's property before and found herself wondering what she would find if she delved further beyond the tree.

The wind began to pick up and Gideon's growls became loader, Gail continued to move further into Lucas's garden ignoring the goose pimples that began to form on her skin. She needed to see what was beyond the tree, she sensed it was important and something was calling to her. Gideon stood his ground at the base of the tree, bared his sharp teeth and began to bark; however, she ignored this warning.

As Gail approached the tree she felt something whisper to her, she could not quite understand what was said so she took a step closer and closed her eyes with the dark sensation that began to flow through her.

'Gail no!' Lucas shouted from behind and ran towards her.

Gail jumped at the urgency in his voice then pushed her guard up automatically. She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind and noticed the wind around her began to ease up.

Lucas grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him when he reached her. 'What the hell do you think you're doin'?' he snapped, pulling her back towards the house. He did not know what had just happened; however, he had sensed a presence here that he did not recognise and luckily Ben had been driving past with him in the car when he was patrolling, otherwise he would not have been in time to intercept whatever it was.

Gail looked at Lucas confused, she did not understand why he was annoyed and could not remember much of what just happened. 'I was just reading a book...you said I was allowed to come here, I don't understand what I'm supposed to have done'

Lucas released his grip on her arm and turned towards her, he could see the upset and confusion on her face. He ran his hand through his hair in exasperation, 'You need to stay by the house...no snooping anywhere else if you're here Gail'

She gave him an offended look and became defensive. 'I wasn't snooping Lucas, I wanted some peace and quiet to read my book so I came here. If you're revoking my rights here that's fine, you might as well have your key back' she said rummaging in her pocket, then threw the key at him and began to walk out of the garden.

Lucas let out an irritated sigh, how could he possibly explain to her that it could be dangerous if the forces that he had become accustomed to turned against her? It was bad enough that some unfamiliar presence appeared to be calling to her, it started to occur to him that he may not be able to protect her on his property and his mind was thrust back to the time when he walked into his house and saw Gail fall down the stairs, which caused the loss of their child.

He had been furious with the forces at play on that night and had never thought they would turn against him; however, they chose to assist Caleb rather than protecting the mother of his unborn child. That act made him cautious now and he would not allow anything to happen to her, not when he was so close to having her fully. 'Gail wait' he called and went to her side. 'I don't want this back, I just want you to be careful' he said and stroked her cheek gently.

Gail shook her head and laughed in frustration. 'You need to make up your mind about what you want from me, I feel like I'm being torn from the inside out and it was never this bad until I accepted what you are...maybe we should have some time apart'

That was not what Lucas wanted, it was bad enough that she had made him stay away from her for almost a week. He would not allow her to pull away from him after he had made so much progress over the passed few months. 'I know what I want Gail, I want all of you...having a break is not an option. I can help you but not until you open yourself fully to me, that book of yours will only get you so far'

Gail considered his words for a moment. If she was to accept the thing inside of her and open herself up to him fully she could not be sure that someone would not get hurt, just like Doctor Monroe or Selena's one night stand. She was not so naive that she did not know she had something to do with both incidents, the book she had just read had taught her that her dreams were too much of a coincidence to mean nothing.

Lucas was poison, she realised that now. Gail cursed herself for ignoring all the warnings that she had been previously given, it was down to her foolish pride and her will to win the little games they played that caused her to let him in, she should have been smarter than that. 'I'm leaving' she said wanting time to think; however, Lucas grabbed her arm tight.

'You're not goin' anywhere Gail' he said, sensing the old doubts that used to haunt her resurfacing.

Gail glanced down at the hand holding her arm, she should be angry at this display; however, as it had been nearly a week since their last sexual encounter she felt her body begin to betray her as he took her self control effortlessly with just one touch. 'You don't tell me what to do' she said defiantly but did not try and break free of his grasp.

Lucas sensed the change within her immediately and smiled, her desire for him was radiating off her and he wanted nothing more than to just take her. He pulled her towards him roughly and stared down at her sternly, willing her to challenge him so he had a reason to take her hard. 'I will tell you what to do when you're runnin' away Darlin''

Gail shook her head slowly and tried to push down the yearning between her legs. 'I'm not running, but I need time to consider what this is and what you're doing to me' she said meeting his gaze.

'I know what I want to do to you' he said moving his hands to her hips and giving them a squeeze.

Gail closed her eyes for a moment as a jolt of electricity shot through her body when he squeezed. 'And if I was to say no?' she asked.

Lucas smiled and let his hands travel to her behind so he could pull her body to his, allowing her to feel the affect she had on him. 'No isn't a word I recognise Darlin', not when I can sense what you really want'

There was no point in resisting the inevitable, she understood that now. He would never let her go and she was not sure she wanted him to, he would continue to use her body as he saw fit and she was powerless to stop him. She felt how hard he was and it excited her that she could have the same affect on him as he did on her, she ran her hands up his chest to show her acceptance and began to rip his shirt open. 'I'll decide what I want and I how I want it Sheriff' she said sweetly and clawed her nails gently down his bare chest.

Lucas inhaled deeply at the touch of her nails scraping on his bare skin and leaned down for a kiss; however, Gail pulled her head back slightly, to avoid his lips. He looked at her confused then caught the playful glint in her eye. 'OK Miss Emory, how do you want it?' he asked playing along.

Gail pushed out of his grasp and shrugged, then turned to walk around the garden. She began to sense something calling to her again from the far end of the garden and glanced subtly in that direction. She looked over her shoulder at Lucas who was watching her carefully and walked a few steps closer the the tree she was initially trying to reach. 'Well you've had me here...' she said as she passed a bench in the garden, '...I've had you there...' she continued pointing at the ground in from of a large tree close to the wall of the garden.

Lucas followed closely as his love began to lap the garden revisiting all the places they have had their fun previously. Although he felt frustrated and wanted her straight away, her playful attitude was beginning to rub off on him. 'We've not had each other over there' he said glancing towards the wall that shielded his garden from the street.

Gail was almost at her desired destination and disregarded Lucas's suggestion. 'See, the problem with that is I like to hear you and we'd have to hold back being that close to the street...' she said slowly pulling off her cardigan and letting it drop to the ground, '...I wan't somewhere a little different but far enough away from the street that we can yell as loud as we want...how about over here?' she asked as she reached the tree and ran her hand up to bark.

Lucas watched her curiously as his senses picked up something in this section of the garden, he walked up behind her and stroked her bare arm gently with his hands. 'You want it here then so be it...' he said and pushed her closer to the tree, '...hold on' he ordered as he unbuttoned his pants to his manhood, reached down to pull her skirt up, moved her thong to one side and thrust himself deep inside her.

Gail gripped the bark of the tree tight at the quick motion of him forcing himself inside her, she was not quite ready due to being mesmerised by this area and his actions had taken her by surprise. She moaned out in pleasure as he began to thrust in and out of her roughly, something was calling for her to stop this act; however, she ignored the unknown voice and pushed herself back into him, to allow him deeper inside.

There was no stopping once they got started and even if she could regain her self control she would not cease the activity. She needed this part of him and she was under no illusion that she was bound to him and she could not give him up like she had previously tried to. He was like a drug and every time she was with him she could feel a little bit more of her spirit being stripped away and replaced with something else.

Lucas sensed something watching them from the edge of the garden and smiled, he grabbed her hips tighter and started to pound harder in and out of her to show the unknown presence who his love belonged to. As they had not been together since his birthday, Lucas could not help himself and called out her name continuously at the intense pleasure of being inside her.

Gail yelled out his name in ecstasy when her climax hit unexpectedly and smiled when he slapped her behind hard as he playfully scolded of her coming before he did. She moaned loudly when he picked up the pace of his relentless pounding and bit her lip hard when she felt him explode inside her. 'That's not all you've got is it Sheriff?' she asked as he pulled out of her gently and she walked further towards the edge of the garden which led to the back of his house.

Lucas's heart was racing and he could have done with a moment to catch his breath; however, he would not allow her to think he could not keep up so he followed her closely and stepped out of his pants as he walked.

Gail glanced over her shoulder to see how far she could get before Lucas reached her then stopped when she turned the corner of the house and stared in awe at the vast backyard in front of her. The back garden was much bigger than the front and the land stretched far back, then met up with a wooded area. There was a large white fountain partly covered in ivy at the part closest to the house and the grass was unkempt, which indicated that this part of the land was highly neglected by it's owner.

Lucas came behind Gail and placed his hands on her lips then let them travel to her stomach, he pulled her into him and began to nuzzle at her neck then let his hand trail down to her sweet spot. He smiled when he felt how wet she still was and ran the tip of his nose gently up her neck while he pushed his fingers inside her, when she winced slightly he pulled his fingers out and began stroke her gently. 'Are you too sore for this?' he whispered in her ear and nipped at it gently when he heard her soft moan.

Gail leaned further back into him, reached her arm up to tangle her hand in his hair and then pulled his head closer to her neck while she moved her head to the left to allow him more access. 'Don't you worry about me Sheriff, I'd be more worried about your stamina running out' she joked and let out a low moan when he bit playfully into her neck.

Lucas continued to play with her sweet spot until he could hear her low moans quicken. 'My stamina can out shine yours Darlin', don't you worry about that' he whispered and began nipping then sucking on her neck.

Gail closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then pulled his hand out from between her legs. She pushed free of his grasp, stepped out of her long skirt and walked closer to the fountain. 'Lets test that claim shall we?' she said glancing over her shoulder at him playfully.

Lucas followed his love carefully, his property was so vast that he never bothered with this side of it so this little exploration was new to him too. He could still sense something watching them and the feeling was stronger here. He approached Gail at the fountain and reached for her arm, to ensure she did not delve further into the garden. 'I think here is far enough Darlin'' he said and gave her arm a gentle yank so she was pulled to his chest.

Gail glanced around the garden curiously, then turned her full attention to the Adonis in front of her. 'Enough talking' she said and tangled her fingers in his chest hair, then gave a gentle pull. Lucas wrapped his arms around her and held her to him tight, she reached up to caress his face then pulled him to her for a passionate kiss.

The wind began to pick up in the garden and blew leaves all around them; however, neither one of them cared. When they broke free of the kiss to catch their breaths Lucas moved his hands down her back to her hips, then knelt down and pulled off her thong. Gail stepped out of her underwear and let out a moan when he started nipping at the inside of her thigh, he licked her softly between her legs then pushed his tongue inside her.

Gail stepped back and shook her head playfully. 'Now now Sheriff, do you need a moment to sit and catch your breath?' she teased and leaned her behind against the fountain.

Lucas stood up and licked his lips, she was more than ready for him and he could not hold down his urges any longer. 'Not at all Miss Emory, I thought you might need a rest before we begin' he said then pulled her to him and kissed her forcefully.

Gail ran her hand through his hair and bit his lip playfully between kisses. Lucas lifted her up then Gail wrapped her legs and arms around him as he carried her further into the garden. He pushed her against a metal lattice arch then thrust his manhood inside her forcefully, Gail let out a load moan and bit into his shoulder with the mixture of pleasure and pain that came with his rough entry.

Lucas thrust in and out of her in quick motions, he could not get enough of this feeling and gripped the holes in the arch to allow him to pull their bodies closer and push deeper inside her. Gail was being crushed between the arch and Lucas's body, she held onto his shoulders and kept her legs wrapped around him tight as he used the arch to bind them closer together. Just as her legs were beginning to ache with the pressure of this act, she felt her climax rising within her and sensed Lucas was close behind. She yelled out as her climax hit violently and Lucas buried his head in her chest when he exploded inside her.

They both remained entangled and gasping for air for a few moments, then Lucas released himself from her and helped her to a standing position. He caressed her cheek and ran his thumb gently over her lips, then kissed her softly as he usual did when he had been rough. Gail allowed him to kiss her for a few seconds then pulled away and took him by the hand. 'My turn' she said seductively, leading him deeper into the garden to a patch of grass that was not as over grown as the rest and pushed him roughly to the ground.

Lucas obediently lay on the floor with his hands behind his head and watched her pull off her vest then straddle herself on top of him. He ran his hands up her legs and gripped her hips firmly. 'You look a little tired Miss Emory...' he said as she took a deep breath, '...are you sure you don't need to recharge your battery?'

Gail shook her head and without any further thought placed his manhood inside her then began to ride him roughly. 'Don't be concerned about me Sheriff...' she panted, '...You just lay there and catch your breath, we wouldn't want your heart to give out'

Lucas smiled and thrust his hips up to push his manhood in deeper, he loved watching her ride him this way; therefore, he chose not to engage further with their teasing and continued to lay back to enjoy the view. His breathing became strained as she moved faster and clawed at his chest, he reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands and squeezed as the pleasure started to intensify.

Gail closed her eyes as a jolt of electricity shot through her when he squeezed, he held his hands out to her and she grabbed them for support to allow her to ride him harder. It did not take long for her orgasm to build within her and they both yelled out as they came together, then she collapsed exhausted on his chest and smiled when he wrapped his arms affectionately around her.

The wind had died down in the garden and they lay together peacefully on the ground, until Lucas felt her shiver on top of him. 'I think it's time we got you inside for a hot shower to warm you up' he whispered and kissed the top of her head.

Gail smiled mischievously and raised her head up to look at him, 'I can think of something else that would warm me up'

Lucas shook his head, it was admirable that she believed she could handle another round with him and he would usually be happy to comply; however, he could sense her exhaustion and he would not allow her to overexert herself. 'As tempting as that sounds, you have a young boy to go home to and I don't want to be the blame for you collapsing whilst making his dinner'

Gail sighed, it was becoming an inconvenience having to keep her relationship separate from her family life. 'Fine...' she said gently pulling him out of her and rolling off him, '...what are you gonna do tonight?'

Lucas took a deep breath to slow his heart rate and stood up, then offered his hand to Gail to assist her to her feet. 'I'll probably visit some of my lady friends to see who will cook me dinner' he said sarcastically.

Gail laughed and pulled him close to her, 'Well to save bothering your other lady friends, I would've happily made an extra plate; however, the long drive to Juniper with Matt is going to take up all my remaining time tonight' she said disappointingly and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Lucas stroked her cheek and sighed, 'And what is it you want me to do about that?'

Gail shrugged, she believed his answer would inevitably be no but there was no harm in her trying. 'Well if he could stay at the boarding house tonight it would free me up to cook properly'

Lucas wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. 'If you and Caleb stayed here tonight that would also free you up for cooking...besides we had deal when it came to Harvard'

Gail bit her lip in exasperation, he was good at this; however, losing was not in her nature. 'If Caleb stayed with Matt at the boarding house, you could stay over at my place and that would free me up to do a whole host of things' she said ignoring his comment about the deal, she was not ready for her cousin to stay here just yet.

Lucas sighed, he did not want to admit it out loud but he did miss waking up with her in the morning. 'I will not allow Caleb to stay with the crazy alone Gail'

Gail ran her hands over his chest and gently scratched her nails down his bare skin. 'M can stay with Caleb, she's been around a lot more recently anyway and Miss Holt would make sure everyone was safe. You know he's no danger to anyone other than you...but you're not worried about Matt are you Sheriff?' she said playing to his ego.

Lucas smiled devilishly, 'OK Darlin' you win. He can stay at the boarding house, but you can go meet him now and give him the good news with the smell of me on you'

Gail took a step back and shook her head, 'You're kidding right?'

Lucas took hold of her hand and led her around to the front of the house, picking up their clothes on the way. 'I'm not scared of Harvard, it was amusing when he decided to grow some balls and come after me...' he said as they reached the front porch and handed her clothes over, '...but he thinks he can steer your thoughts against me, that's what bothers me'

Gail regarded Lucas carefully, then laughed to hide her annoyance. 'So you're jealous?'

'No Darlin', I have no doubt that Harvard does nothin' for you...but I want you to make it clear that you're mine. If you can't do that then maybe I should be concerned about the nature of your relationship with him'

Gail put her clothes back on and ran her hands through her hair. 'You lock the man up in a mental asylum where he's been treated in unspeakable ways and now you want to parade my bad judgement of being with you in front of him?' she asked in disgust.

Lucas shook his head, 'Firstly, the man took a shot at me so I was well within my rights to lock him up and secondly, you've already admitted that I tap into your issues and I know I help you find a release...that's not bad judgement Darlin' that's a soul mate'

Gail turned to walk out of the garden, 'I'll do what you want me to for my friend, not for you. He'll be staying with me tonight so don't bother stopping by' she called back to him.

Lucas sighed, he was so close to having her fully; however, something always seemed to get in the way. He would leave her be with Harvard for tonight and come up with a permanent solution to manage the man once and for all at a later time.

-The end-


End file.
